Joining Indian metro cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Pune, districts in the southern state of Karnataka are also set to adopt a “Water Bell” concept that entitles schoolchildren to 10-minute intervals between classes dedicated to drinking water.
An official circular has been issued to schools in the state of Karnataka that instructs authorities to ensure that students drink water at regular intervals, the media reported on Tuesday.
Recently, a survey by the Association of Primary Education Research (APER) revealed that nearly 68 percent of school students bring almost fully filled water bottles back home – indicating how little water is consumed by them throughout the day.
In most cases, students revealed that they refrained from drinking water regularly to avoid using the “often unclean” washrooms at school.
“When the government will introduce the water bell concept, they will have to make sure schools will also provide washroom facilities and drinking water facilities with good infrastructure”, media reports quoted Shashi Kumar, general secretary, Associated Management of Schools, Karnataka, as saying.
