Does the government build toilets in schools? Technically, yes — but often too late.
At the Zilla Parishad High School in Rajole of Mahabubabad district, established in 1947, it was only recently that boys stopped relieving themselves outdoors. For classes 6 to 10, the school has a strength of about 200 students, including 80 girls who have access to toilets. But until a few months ago, the boys did not.
The solution to the issue came from the school’s physical director, Pilli Kashinath, who devised a low-cost innovation by repurposing five-litre plastic oil cans as urinals. “One day, after a toilet break, a boy returned in tears. A man had shouted at him for urinating on private land. It deeply upset him. That is when I thought, students shouldn’t have to go outside to relieve themselves,” he said.
Physical director at ZPHS Rajole, P.Kashinath installing the urinals that he built with the help of students. | Photo Credit: ARRANGEMENT
With ₹2,000, Kashinath built a makeshift urinal area with 10 repurposed cans. Each can is horizontally cut to create a flap that is fixed to the wall, while a vertical cut opens the top for use. Inverted, the can’s spout connects to a discharge pipe. A single common pipe with a hose and valve acts as a flush system. The urinals are mounted at child-friendly heights.
