Andhra Pradesh Mandates Three Water Brakes In Schools Amid Rising Temperature
The Andhra Pradesh Department of Education has started a ‘water-bell” initiative to promote student’s hydration during school hours and for overall well-being amid soaring temperatures. The principal secretary of school education Praveen Prakash announced the water breaks in schools through a press statement.
Under the initiative, all the state schools are mandated to provide three water breaks at 9:45 am, 10:05 am, and 11:50 am to students. As per the initiative, the school bell would ring thrice a day reminding students to take water from their water bottles.
Notably, the temperature in the state is increasingly going high and the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) reported that 68 mandals throughout the state experienced a heatwave on Tuesday with 9 mandals indicating severe heatwave conditions. Climate change is resulting in an unprecedented increase in temperatures in the state and so it is necessary to make sure children are hydrated sufficiently during school hours.
Other states with water break initiative
Earlier in February this year, the Kerala government had decided to implement a water-bell system at schools to keep the body hydrated during summer. Kerala became the first state in the country to introduce this system. The system was also implemented by Kerala in 2019 in certain areas with high temperatures. Later on, Karnataka, Telangana, and Odisha governments also issued notice to schools to provide water breaks.
As per the PTI reports, despite repeated reminders from the teachers, it was found that students especially girls, were not drinking adequate water to avoid frequent visits to the toilets which leaves them dehydrated. As per the doctor”s advice, children and teenagers should consume approximately 1.5 to 3 litre of water daily depending on gender, age, and weight.
Reportedly, parents expressed happiness with the initiative as it improves their children’s water intake and promotes the habit of self-care.
