NHRC notice to Telangana Govt over 'hardships' to girl students due to lack of toilets at school

NEW DELHI: The National Human Rights Commission has issued a notice to the Telangana government over a report alleging hardships to girl students due to the lack of toilets at a high school in Nalgonda district. In a statement issued on Monday, the NHRC has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, amount to a serious violation of the human rights of the girl students.

The NHRC said it has "taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that the girl students are facing hardships due to the lack of toilet facilities in the Devarakonda Zila Parishad High School for Girls in Nalgonda district". "Reportedly, girl students started using the urinals at Sulabh complexes but they had to discontinue using them when asked to pay money. After this, the girls started using free toilets at Devarakonda Bus Stop. However, the management stopped them from using the toilets and they were sent back," it said.

The facility of toilets in the schools for the students, especially for the girl students, is one of the basic amenities to be ensured and provided by the management.

"Forcing the girl students to use the public toilets outside the schools at Sulabh complexes and the ones available at the bus stops, raises many issues of grave recklessness about the safety and security of the female students," the statement said.

Accordingly, the Commission has issued notice to the chief secretary of the government of Telangana, seeking a detailed report in four weeks. The report should include the steps taken or proposed to be taken so that such incidents do not recur, it said.