In consonance with the Centre's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, industry body CII today said it would build at least 2,000 toilets in schools of West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh by 2016.
CII eastern region chairman Viresh Oberoi said this was part of its social agenda in consonance with 'Swachh Bharat' programme of the central government.
CII is already working with corporate houses, local bodies, governments, self-help groups and NGOs to fulfil the mission, Oberoi said.
What makes matter worse are dysfunctional toilets- 20,387 in West Bengal, 21,560 in Odisha, 18,822 in Bihar, 7329 in Jharkhand and 6723 in Chhattisgarh, the industry body said.
It is estimated that 416,000 schools in the country are without toilets, it said.
"We fear that the ground realities are far worse. The effects are far and wide. The dropout rate among girl students is up as a result," said Dipankar Chatterji, chairman of the task force on 'Mission - Sanitation of Schools', started by CII.
