Water crisis: CBSE makes mandatory for schools to become water efficient in next 3 years

CBSE Board set an aggressive timeline of 3 years for its schools to become water efficient, as per a media report. The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in its latest directive has asked schools affiliated to the central school board, to formulate a policy of water management as part of the drive to make them water efficient. The directive has also asked CBSE schools to conduct regular water audits and ensure that water resources are managed affectivity without any wastage of the previous natural resource.

Decision in Wake of NITI Aayog Report:

CBSE’s directive to its affiliate schools has come in the wake of a recent Niti Aayog Report about the looming water crisis in India. According to the report, 21 cities in India including Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad will run-out of ground water by 2020 which will impact around 100 million families based in these cities. The report has also highlighted the ill-effects of the impending water crisis that major cities, including some of the most advanced and economically important ones, will face in near future.

Change in Infrastructure and Outlook
CBSE Board, while issuing the directive, also clarified that the effectiveness of the water efficiently of CBSE Board Schools would be measured with regards to two different aspects i.e. changes in school infrastructure and change in the outlook of school administration and students towards water conservation. The board further added that while directions have been issued with regards to the change that schools should make the their existing infrastructure to make CBSE schools more water efficient; the outlook would have to be changed by the administration through different measures. The Board called upon the schools to hold awareness drives and campaigns along with water conservation workshops, for both students and staff members, to bring about a positive change in their outlook.

Water Conservation Guidelines for CBSE School
In wake of this, the CBSE Board has given its schools 3 year time to become water efficient and also issued water conservation guidelines that are to be followed by the school administration and the students. The key among them include:

CBSE schools have been asked to replace old fixtures and appliances within the school campus with more water efficient models.
Installation of automatic taps with sensors
Replace regular with double-flush tanks in toilets
Regular water audit to check for leaks
Set-up School Water Management Committee comprising of administrators, teachers, students, non-teaching staff members, parents
Installation of rain-water harvesting system
Plantation drive for native and drought tolerant plants
Increase water literacy among students
Organizing water conservation workshops
Organize students’ visit to water treatment plants

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