 As part of the project "Promotion of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Education and Water Quality Monitoring in Mangalore City, India", water quality testing laboratories were inaugurated in two nodal schools - Jilla Panchayath Higher Primary School, Katipalla, 5th block and Pejavar Aided Higher Primary School, Kalavar today to promote hands-on water education. Dr. Harmut Unger, President, BASF Social Foundation unveiled the water laboratories in the presence of senior officials of BASF, UN-Habitat, TERI, Management of the beneficiary schools and the students.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Unger said, "Water is a basic essential for human-beings. But to find out whether the water you drink and use for household activities is reliable and safe, water quality needs to be tested regularly. With the Water Education Project, we target the students, educate them on the essence of this natural resource and equip them to monitor the water quality in their neighborhood."
Under the project, 25 beneficiary schools will be provided with water testing kits, and two schools will be equipped with "water laboratories" to facilitate water quality monitoring by the students from all the 25 schools. Two schools will have "water classrooms" to promote wise use of water. The water testing laboratories equipped with glassware, reagents, apparatus, laboratory equipments and resource materials on water education will enable students to test drinking water quality in strategic locations and selected communities in the city of Mangalore and surrounding areas. These will further help students to identify impurities in water, acquire skills on how to purify water and advice the community on water use and purification. Specially trained teachers will guide students throughout the project duration.
Started in May 2011, the Water Education Project is a joint initiative of BASF and UN-HABITAT. The project is targeted towards benefiting 5000 students from 25 schools in Mangalore with the focus on water education, improving water and sanitation facilities in schools and community water supply. |
