Mangalore: Pure drinking water is among the basic needs of children at many schools, which do not have even washing rooms for them at lunch hour. The state Bank of India, realizing such deficiencies in a city that has water-borne diseases like malaria/filarial, has celebrated its R-Day event in its own manner, by presenting a water purifier each to eleven(11) schools, on Thursday at its Commercial Branch in city.

This sponsorship, coming from A. Krishna Kumar, MD and Group Executive of SBI Corporate Centre in Mumbai, is part of its Corporate social Responsibility Programme undertaken this year (2012).

Kumar informed on the occasion that the great Bank had a nationwide programme, with a target open upto February end. As India’s largest Bank it was aware of its social obligations, and earmarked a part of its profits every year for social causes.

He wanted to protect school children and health. SBI has over 10,000 braches which will donate a water purifier to every needy school in India, Kumar added.

Local Bank managers and officers were present. P.R. Acharya, AGM, Welcome and Ashwini Mehra, Chief GM in Bangalore, thanked the gathering.