New Delhi: Students of the afternoon shift at a Delhi govt school in Gokalpur village in northeast Delhi complained of being denied access to drinking water, prompting education department officials to initiate an inquiry.
The UDISE+ 2025-26 data shows all schools in Delhi have functional drinking water facilities.
A video purportedly showing a locked gate at an area marked “drinking water” was also circulated. Following the complaint, a team comprising senior education department officials and two school principals visited the institute, sources said. A school staff member said officials subsequently directed the head of the morning-shift school to ensure that students attending the afternoon shift did not face difficulties in accessing facilities. “The inquiry team is expected to submit its findings to senior education department officials,” said an official.
The issue came to light after students complained about drinking-water facilities being allegedly kept locked at GBSSS Gokalpur after the morning shift. In a written complaint, a Class XII science student alleged that a gate had been installed around a drinking-water facility and subsequently locked. The student claimed that after the matter was raised with the school authorities, the water supply was shut off. The team inspected the premises and recorded statements of several people, including the Class XII student. Sources claimed that during the inspection, officials found drinking-water facilities locked on different floors. The allegations assume significance as Delhi’s school norms require arrangements for the supply of drinking water to students. A Delhi govt instruction also states that school managements are responsible for providing potable drinking water in sufficient quantity and making it accessible to all students.