RO Plants in Govt Schools Turn Defunct
RO water purification plants installed in government schools under the Nadu-Nedu scheme have become defunct in several parts of Visakhapatnam district owing to a lack of maintenance funds and inadequate supporting infrastructure.
The plants were installed during the previous YSRCP government’s tenure as part of efforts to improve basic amenities in government educational institutions. Infrastructure facilities such as new classrooms, furniture, smart boards, laboratories, and RO systems were taken up under the scheme. A total of 568 government primary, upper primary, and high schools in the district received assistance in two phases.
According to officials, each school was provided with an RO plant at a cost ranging from ₹3 lakh to ₹6 lakh, depending on student strength. However, regular maintenance of the systems has emerged as a major challenge. Refills and membranes require replacement once every eight to ten months at an estimated cost of around ₹8,000. In addition, the plants require an uninterrupted power supply and consume nearly 100 to 150 units of electricity every month.
Several schools are reportedly unable to bear these recurring expenses because of a shortage of funds. In many institutions, the systems were used only until the initial components became unusable, after which maintenance was discontinued.
Officials said the proper functioning of the RO plants also depends on supporting infrastructure such as water storage tanks, internal pipeline connectivity, and drainage facilities for the disposal of wastewater. While these arrangements were made in some schools, several others continue to lack the required infrastructure, resulting in the plants remaining uninstalled or non-functional.
Allegations had also surfaced earlier regarding the quality of some of the RO systems procured under the programme. Critics alleged that long-term maintenance requirements were not adequately considered during implementation.
District Education Officer N. Prem Kumar said information regarding the status of the RO plants and maintenance requirements was being collected from schools across the district. He said a report would be submitted to higher authorities, and necessary steps would be taken to restore the systems for use by students.