Port Blair, Nov 2: The Indian Red Cross Society, North & Middle Andaman District Branch of IRCS, Andaman & Nicobar Branch formed WASH Committees in selected 27 Primary schools (Govt. & Private) of North & Middle Andaman District. The Members of WASH Committee are Head Master/ Mistress/ Manager of Concerned Schools as Chairman, Directorate of Health Services (ANM), Andaman Public Works Departments (JE, APWD), Directorate of Social Welfare (Anganwadi Workers), Students, Parents and Teachers of Concerned Schools as Members of the Committee.
WASH Committee will help to create peer influence to adopt good hygiene behaviors among students. It also helps school management to do special arrangement for physically challenged children. WASH Committee will be very helpful for the schools to ensure running water availability round the clock during schools hours, testing of drinking water, ensure drinking water stations with multiple water taps placed at different heights to accommodate students of all age groups, ascertain water and excreta related diseases at the school level, ensure adequacy in terms of number of urinals and latrines as per the strength of the school, ensure hand washing stations near the toilet blocks separately for male and female students as per their age and heights, ascertain separate toilet blocks for male and female students and teachers, ensure sanitary blocks designed to help girls to accommodate their menstruation management needs, special arrangements for physically challenged students, advocacy on hand washing, use of urinals & latrines, open deification, hygiene promotion and disease prevention issues at students community, to carry out sanitary inspections at schools periodically.
Along with the formation of WASH Committees Indian Red Cross Society, North & Middle Andaman District Branch of IRCS, A & N Branch also provided Pure It (Water Purifier), Hand Wash, Phenyl, Toilet Cleaner, Nail Cutter, Sanitary Napkins for female students and Registers to the selected 27 Primary Schools of North & Middle Andaman District. An assessment was also conducted on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene conditions of the schools on the basis of 50 questionnaire.
Miss Shilpa Samadder, & Miss Deepa Samadder, FMRs from Rangat, Miss Neelveni and Miss Naw Alice Kullu, Red Cross Volunteers from Mayabunder, Miss V Umawati & Miss Lipika Rani Mistry, Red Cross Volunteers from Diglipur were instrumental for the formation of WASH Committees and demonstration of hand washing techniques at 27 selected primary schools (Govt. & Private).
