VISAKHAPATNAM:  A class IX student of a tribal welfare girls hostel drowned in Chaparai canal in Dumbriguda mandal in Visakhapatnam district on Friday when she went for bathing. The students are forced to trek to the canal everyday for bathing and washing clothes as their hostel lacks proper water supply, reports reaching here said.

As usual, the victim, E Rani, 14, a native of Guntaseema, along with other inmates of the hostel, went to the canal on Friday and met with watery grave.Rani and two other students went deep into the canal and was caught in the swampy water, her friends, who were witness to the incident, told the police. As the news spread, tribal and child rights organisation activists reached the place and staged a protest alleging  failure of government to provide basic facilities in government hostels.

Responding to the protests, chairperson of Andhra Pradesh State Commission for Protection of Child Rights G Hymavathi rushed expert swimmers to trace the missing girl.  By 6.30 in the evening, the body of the girl was traced.

Araku Circle Inspector Koteswara Rao conducted a preliminary investigation into the incident. It is learnt that the main reason for the students taking the risky step of bathing in the dangerous canal is lack of water supply in the washrooms in the hostel. Hymavathi ordered the district administration and Integrated Tribal Development Agency (ITDA) to  investigate the incident. She said that there were complaints earlier also on various issues in the hostel.

‘Complaints galore’
AP State Commission for Protection of Child Rights chairperson G Hymavathi said there are regular complaints about lack of facilities in tribal welfare hostels.