Nashik, March 29, 2012: The District Planning and Development Committee (DPDC) has sanctioned 302 toilet blocks to zilla parishad schools, enabling the Nashik zilla parishad to file an affidavit with the Supreme Court stating that it will ensure separate toilet blocks for boys and girls by the end of the financial year.

"A total of 302 toilet blocks at the cost of Rs 35,000 each have been sanctioned," said district planning officer Pradeep Potdar. After a Supreme Court order, the zilla parishad had sent a proposal to DPDC demanding funds for raising the toilet blocks in the schools where there are no facilities at all. "The proposal got locked up in the code of conduct for the NMC and zilla parishad elections. The files have been cleared and the funds will be provided to the ZP for the same," Potdar said.

In rural areas, primary schools generally have only a single toilet block, as students are few and they live close by. There are 313 schools where there are no facilities at all. After hearing a public interest litigation, the apex court had ordered state governments to ensure that there are enough lavatories and separate ones for girls. DPDC's sanction will ease the situation, an official from the zilla parishad said.

Nashik district has 5,157 zilla parishad and ashramshala schools, along with other government-aided schools. Of these, 313 are without any toilet blocks, while 3,092 have common facilities for boys and girls. There are 60 schools in the Nashik Municipal Corporation area without any facilities, and 67 schools without facilities for girls.

The Supreme Court had set a deadline of March 31 for the states to ensure that every school has a separate toilet block with enough water supply. "The ZP administration will ensure that the permissions for construction of blocks is given in time and also that the facilities at all other schools be completed in the next financial year," a senior official said on condition of anonymity. (Source: The Times of India)