Colleges fail to conduct drinking water test

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, June 27

Despite provision of drinking water facility at Government Degree Colleges (GDCs) in the Jammu region, some of the state-run colleges have not been conducting periodic tests of drinking water.

The sorry state of affairs has exposed the tall claims of the successive governments about the strengthening of infrastructural facilities at the GDCs, which are still struggling to have the basic facility, thereby posing a threat to the health of thousands of students.

As per data available with The Tribune, of the 48 governmentcolleges in the Jammu region, 10 colleges have not conducted periodic test of drinking water.

The data further revealed that eight GDCs did not have their own buildings and were running from rented/ makeshift buildings. They are at Surankote, Kalakote, Sara Bagga, Chattru, Marwah, Banihal, Gool and Sunderbani.

Besides, there is no information available about drinking water facilities at three state-run colleges despite the fact that the colleges are functioning from their own buildings. They are GDCs Nowshera, Mahanpur and Kishtwar. The GDC at Thathri has no provision of safe drinking water, has no water cooler or purifiers installed. The GDC at Mendhar relies on spring water.

SP Saraswat, principal, GGM Science College, Jammu, and nodal principal of the Jammu government colleges, said: “It is true that some of the colleges, especially in hilly districts, do not have the provision of periodic test of drinking water, but the Higher Education Department is already on the job to ensure this facility.”