RO systems installed in 23 flood-affected Ajnala schools for safe drinking water

The Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), district unit, in collaboration with the Rotary Club, has distributed Reverse Osmosis (RO) systems to 23 middle and primary schools in Ajnala. These systems will filter contaminated water into safe drinking water. These schools were among the worst-hit government institutions during the floods that struck the border belt in Amritsar in August and September.

On Tuesday, members of the DTF and the Rotary Club visited these schools with the ROs to be installed. “There was large-scale damage inside government schools, especially middle and primary schools, which were already in need of infrastructural overhaul. The immediate damage was to the kitchens where ration was stocked and to the clean water systems where submersibles were damaged. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, the DTF Amritsar unit, under the decisions taken in the district committee meeting, allocated an amount of ?1.76 lakh to farmers for the purchase of advanced seeds, with the aim of spending the collected amount in three parts. Also, to provide clean and pure water to students of flood-affected primary and middle schools, ROs were distributed to reinstate safe water supply for children,” said Ashwani Awasthi, district unit head of DTF and a member of Rotary Club, New Amritsar.

Block Education Officer (Ajnala-1) Daljit Singh said that for the last one month, group-building activities have been conducted in schools damaged in the floods. “Due to disruptions in the supply of clean drinking water in schools, we used to ask school heads to either purchase water for drinking purposes or ask children to bring water from their homes. But with the RO systems installed, schools will now be able to provide safe drinking water,” he said.

DEO, Elementary, Amritsar, Kanwaljit Singh assured that rebuilding work in all government schools in the area would continue through collaborative efforts.