An Analysis to Determine the Availability and Accessibility of Safe Drinking Water and Proper Sanitation Facilities in Government Degree Colleges of Bandipora District in Kashmir Division

Aims and Objectives: The present study aimed to assess the availability and accessibility of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities among undergraduate colleges of Bandipora district of Kashmir. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study was done in the Hassan Shah Khuehami Memorial Government degree college of Bandipora area and Government degree college of Sumbal area of Bandipora district in Kashmir, India. The study covered 404 Muslim girl’s participants who were drawn from their graduate 2nd and 3rd years. The information was collected by circulating the pre-tested structured questionnaire containing demographic profile and availability, and accessibility of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities in the colleges. Results: Analysis based on age revealed that more than half of participants belonged up to 20 years of age. Less than three-fourths study in the 3rd year and the remaining students were in the 2nd year. A little more than 50% of girls were from nuclear families as high as 80% were from rural backgrounds. The economic status informed that the monthly household income ranged from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000 and the majority of the parents had school education completed and accordingly employed on wage earnings. With regard to accessibility and availability of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities as high as 90% of the girls opined that they did not have girl-friendly washrooms and were overcrowded and unhygienic. More than three-fourths of the participants expressed that they do not have access to disposal facilities for used sanitary materials, neither incinerators nor any other proper disposal facilities and no space for washing the stained clothes, though more than 90% held that direct tap water for drinking is available. It is to be tested whether the direct tap water is safe without any contamination. The study suggested that safe drinking water and proper facilities for handling menstruation at the educational institutions are the mandatory basic needs, in which the management has to be doubly careful and provide such facilities. Conclusion: More number of girls considered lack of infrastructural facilities to be major hurdle in meeting their higher educational needs. Colleges lacked adequate availability of separate toilets for girls, with no proper sanitation facilities. Inadequate facilities of proper sanitation inside the girls toilets were reported to be a strong reason for girls drop-out.