All govt schools in Bihar to get additional handpump by 2017

The Bihar government has decided to install an additional handpump in all primary and secondary government schools, state PHE minister said today.
These additional handpumps will be installed by 2017 so that the students get adquate water during school hours, Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Damodar Raut informed the Assembly to debate on his department's budgetary demand of Rs 1516.13 crore for 2015-16.
In those government schools where the number of male and female students were substantially high, arrangements were being made to provide drinking water and so far 37 schools have been covered under this scheme in 2014-15 against the target of 63 schools, he said.

The PHED has sanctioned for installation of new handpumps in 4,570 primary/secondary schools against those which have become inoperational due to different reasons, Raut said, adding that sanction has also been granted for providing running drinking water in 7,721 schools.
Conceding that clean drinking water supply was a serious concern in Bihar due to 17 districts in South Bihar getting lesss rainfall and most of North Bihar districts facing recurring flood, he said that the state government was working on multi-pronged measures like supply potable water through pipelines and tap to the households.
The house passed the PHED's budgetary demand by voice vote amid walkout by the opposition BJP members.