Sylvia, a Class VI student in Chennai, noticed that the water bell introduced on Monday has made her drink more water. “I always drink water regularly but I also saw that a lot of my peers are drinking water too. My friends and I like the reminders,” she added.
The move aims to tackle the dehydration of students and teachers in schools amid the temperature rise. Doctors and teachers have welcomed the School Education department’s move to ring a bell as a reminder to drink water in schools.
“It is a welcome initiative. As girls do face a lot of dehydration, it’s important to remind them to drink water. In the corporate world, we are advised to drink and move as we sit a lot. Only an impact study will tell us the implementation gaps of the initiative,” said Sheeba. R, a School Management Committee member of Government Model Higher Secondary School, Mogappair West.
The bell would be rung at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. to remind students and teachers to drink water.
“We had been getting complaints of dehydration in students. Further, doctors had also notified us that as students do not consume as much water, there have been complaints of stomach ache, especially in girls. In an effort to tackle this, the water bell system was introduced,” said S. Kannappan, Director of School Education.
Most schools in the city have implemented the water bell system. “It has been a welcome move for us too as we remember only by 4 p.m. when school is over that we have forgotten to drink water. It’s a good addition,” said S. Krishnaveni, principal of Chennai Primary School, Mogappair.
Janani Sankar, medical director, paediatrician, Kanchi Kamakoti Childs Trust Hospital, Chennai, stated that children need to drink a lot of water. “If not, it can cause voiding dysfunction leading to a urinary tract infection. It can also develop into recurrent abdominal pain. Such cases are quite common in children and need to be tackled. They need to drink water regularly and ensure that they empty the bladder and bowels,” she added.
Highlighting the need for the initiative to be holistic, Asokan R., paediatrician said that children would need to use toilets as they drink more water. “This means the toilets have to be clean and hygienic. Many would be deterred from drinking water as they don’t want to use the restroom. These issues also have to be addressed,” he said.
Published – July 02, 2025 12:43 am IST
