Coimbatore: The presence of live and dead rats in drinking water purifiers kept in a private school on jail road triggered tension on Tuesday. Parents of children studying in ICSE board at Stanes Anglo Indian School were shocked to find rats in large numbers in the water purifier used by students for drinking water. A group of parents who visited the school noticed a bad smell emanating from the water purifier.
“On lifting the upper lid of the purifier, we found dead and live rats inside. When we checked another purifier, it too had rats. We were really shocked as the students have been using water from these purifiers to drink,” said I Sekar, advisor of the Parents Association, Stanes School.
The infuriated parents tried to check the other purifiers, but the school management prevented them from doing so. By then, the parents had also informed the health department of the corporation who arrived and confirmed the presence of rats in the purifier.
While school authorities could not be reached, a senior official of the corporation health department said that a medical team was sent to the school to check and it was confirmed that rats were present in the purifier.
“The school management maintains that the two purifiers are defunct and not in use. They were supposed to be disposed of, the management claiming that they couldn’t do as there were continuous holidays. Further enquiry is on,” said the official.
However, students said that the purifiers were not defunct and were in use. The parents also raised other issues like inadequate toilets and poor sanitation on the campus. As the agitated parents were preparing for a protest, cops arrived and pacified them.
