Koderma: Despite being upgraded as a ‘PM-Shri’, the PM-Shri Govt Middle School, Gumo-2, is battling a severe water crisis that is disrupting education. Female students are among the worst affected, often forced to go home to use toilets.Situated along the Ranchi-Patna Road in 1935, the Jhumritilaiya-based school has nine teachers imparting lessons to 214 students.Principal (in-charge) Anita Kumari said, “The school’s borewell is barely functional and produces only a few buckets of water. The urban water supply has also failed after the motor stopped working, leaving the campus without water for more than a week. Toilets have become unusable and even the preparation of mandatory mid-day meals has turned into a struggle.A student of Class VIII, Simran Kumari, said, “We often depend on nearby residents for water or have to walk back home to meet basic needs.”President of the School Management Committee (SMC) said, Hemanti Devi, “Water crisis has made it difficult to prepare mid-day meal for children for the last 2-3 years. Many times, food is cooked by bringing water from the neighbourhood well.”District superintendent of education (DSE) Ajay Kumar, who visited the school on Thursday to take stock of the situation, said, “Both hand pump and water pipe connection exists on campus. The water crisis is not severe but seasonal in summer months. This will be sorted soon.”
