The Centre has asked the states and Union Territories to provide hand washing facilities with the provision of soap, and train teachers to impart hygiene education to students in all schools across the country.
The states have been asked to fast-track the provision of stand-alone piped water supply solutions and simple, sustainable solar solutions.
A joint advisory issued by the Department of School Education & Literacy, Ministry of Jal Shakti; NITI Aayog and the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, said the rejuvenation of basic infrastructure including improved sanitation facilities and provision of safe drinking water and maintaining the overall cleanliness in government schools has long been a priority of the government.
Some of the programmes being implemented in mission modes like Swachh Bharat Mission- Grameen (SBM-G) and Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) are going a long way in improving the living standards of the people, the advisory said.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) has transformed rural India by manifesting into a Jan Andolan for sanitation. Under Phase -ll of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), the focus is on Open Defecation Free (ODF) sustainability and solid and liquid waste management.
The advisory further stated that under the ODF Plus, it also must be ensured that all schools in villages have arrangements for the management of bio-degradable waste and grey water. It was important to ensure that all the toilets in the schools were in proper functioning condition. However, some of them might require retrofitting from single pits to twin pits. This might be done as part of the ongoing campaign of retrofitting from single pits to twin pits.