NEW DELHI: An undergraduate student was on Thursday injured after a chunk of the ceiling at JNU’s Sabarmati Hostel collapsed on him. The incident raised concerns among students and JNUSU members, who alleged they had flagged the “crumbling infrastructure” at varsity hostels but the administration had failed to take any action citing lack of funds.
Md Fasihul Hasan, a second-year BA German student from Bihar’s Aurangabad district who has been staying in the hostel since February after the campus reopened, said the incident was “traumatic”.
“I woke up around 10:30am and went to the washroom. Suddenly, a chunk of malba fell on my head, back and foot. I couldn’t comprehend what had happened and was even briefly unconscious. I somehow came out. A senior told me I was bleeding profusely. I was taken to Safdarjung hospital where the warden visited for a short period,” Hasan said.
JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh said, “The student community’s long-standing demand has been to improve infrastructure across hostels. We have been seeking better facilities for the past two years. The JNU administration must answer for this negligence.”
In a statement later, the university administration said it had received a grant of Rs 56.3 crore from UGC towards hostel repairs and maintenance. “VC Santishree D Pandit, in keeping with her mission of a student-centric and friendly administration, thanks the UGC and MoE for the release of the grant,” the university said.
Residents of several JNU hostels said apart from damp walls, ceilings of several rooms were also on the verge of collapse.
Dhathri, who stays in Godavari hostel, said, “The condition is pathetic. We complain every day but the administration doesn’t pay heed. The water coolers also don’t function. This is a very old hostel which needs regular repair and maintenance, but nothing has been done so far.”
A Ph.D Hindi literature student who stays in Tapti hostel said unusable washrooms and lack of sanitation had made the situation dire.
“The hostel, especially the boys’ section, is in a terrible condition. The state of the washrooms is such that they are often forced to take a shower in the pantry. Infrastructure in the hostel is non-existent and even basic facilities are lacking. When it rains, the ground floor turns into a swimming pool,” the student said.
Amit Kumar, a resident of Kaveri hostel, stated, “Many of the sinks in our washrooms have vanished. Some of the windows are without glass and the ceilings of many rooms and the mess can collapse any moment. Basic steps like fogging to tackle the menace of mosquitoes are also not taken.”
