Girls skip drinking water due to toilet crisis in Telangana schools

A survey by the Ministry of Education reveals a severe lack of functional toilets in government-run schools in Telangana. More than 1,700 schools lack toilets for girls, and many schools with facilities have non-functional restrooms. This situation forces students, particularly girls, to avoid drinking water during school hours, leading to dehydration and other health issues.

Hyderabad: The fear of needing to attend to nature’s call is driving a large number of students, particularly girls, of the government run schools to avoid drinking water during school hours. This has been mainly due to either lack of toilets or non-functional toilets on the school premises, resulting in health problems such as dehydration, urinary infections, and digestive issues among girl students.

The Ministry of Education, which recently released the Unified District Information System for Education (UDISE) plus information for the academic year 2024-25, has painted a grim picture about infrastructure in the government-run schools in Telangana.

---

Out of 29,421 girls and co-education government-run schools operational in the State, 1,752 did not have a girls’ toilet facility at all. Additionally, over 1,100 schools have toilet facilities but they are defunct.

“One major issue that girls face due to lack of toilets is they stop drinking water during the school hours. This is causing them a lot of health issues during their growing stage. In addition, lack of toilets is directly related to attendance in the school. Girls do not attend classes during their menstrual cycle,” said a ZPHS headmaster from Karimnagar, requesting anonymity.

Not just students, teachers have also been facing severe issues due to lack of toilets or functional toilets. “Some teachers, having no other options, use the washrooms in nearby homes close to their schools. This time, the schools have not received their maintenance grants, which aids in maintaining toilets in the schools,” said Chava Ravi, president, Telangana State United Teachers’ Federation.

Boys’ toilets were no better in the government-run schools. In fact, 4,069 out of 28,703 total boys’ and co-educational schools do not have toilets at all. In addition, around 1,400 schools have toilet facilities but are non-functional. This was mainly due to a lack of running water connection and lack of maintenance over time.

Overall, 28,896 out of 30,057 government-run schools have toilets. Among those which have toilets, 27,785 were functional during the academic year 2024-25. As for private 12,474 schools, 12,473 reported having toilet facilities and 12,454 were functional.