Univ women’s hostel a horror house
But Warden Talks Of Good Facilities Here
Aditi.R@timesgroup.com
Chennai:26.02.2019
Unhygienic toilets, poor drinking water facilities, unsafe living conditions and a constant threat of disciplinary action if any demand is made. These are some of the many woes nagging the students residing at the Mother Teresa Hostel for Women at the University of Madras.
“It has become increasingly difficult to live here. But since the authorities know we have no other place to go, they are taking advantage of our situation,” said a student on condition of anonymity.
The university hostel, located in Chepauk, houses nearly 250 students pursuing their post graduate and PhD courses. The hostel has 13 wings, each with eight rooms. A common bathroom and toilet is available at the end of each wing. To reach the rooms or the bathroom, however, students require a torchlight.
“I joined the campus around August last year, since then I have never seen the wings illuminated,” the student said.
Students added that campus maintenance was poor. The cook who abruptly left a few weeks ago prompted authorities to close the hostel mess till a replacement was found. “We had no food. When we complained, we were asked to eat outside. This went on for a month, but we were still charged for food,” said another student.
Students said the hostel has no emergency medical facility and is home to a drinking water cooler that doesn’t work, forcing students to buy water cans instead. The electrical wiring is poor and also prone to cause shocks, they added. Last month, the girls protested after they did not receive water supply for a whole day. “Around midnight a water lorry was sent to the hostel. We were asked to get our buckets and fill water from the lorry directly,” a student said.
Hostel warden S Sumathi, who is also the head of the department of anthropology at the university, did not take the students’ complaints seriously, they said. “You don’t know who I am connected to, so watch what you say,” a student quoted Sumathi as saying.
When contacted, Sumathi said she had put in her resignation papers six months ago, and is holding charge of the hostel till a new warden takes over. “Students must be thankful that they are getting such good facilities here,” she said.
Asked about the hostel lacking a cook, she said, “They get low pay, hence they leave. And everyday we spend ₹61 on food for the girls. What more do they want? And once we receive government funds we will repair other facilities. But the hostel is very clean and well maintained. Everyone including the vice-chancellor appreciates my efforts, only a few girls are spreading such false stories.”
SEEKING BETTER AMENITIES: After a whole day without water, students were told to fill their buckets with water from a tanker around midnight
But Warden Talks Of Good Facilities Here
Aditi.R@timesgroup.com
Chennai:26.02.2019
Unhygienic toilets, poor drinking water facilities, unsafe living conditions and a constant threat of disciplinary action if any demand is made. These are some of the many woes nagging the students residing at the Mother Teresa Hostel for Women at the University of Madras.
“It has become increasingly difficult to live here. But since the authorities know we have no other place to go, they are taking advantage of our situation,” said a student on condition of anonymity.
The university hostel, located in Chepauk, houses nearly 250 students pursuing their post graduate and PhD courses. The hostel has 13 wings, each with eight rooms. A common bathroom and toilet is available at the end of each wing. To reach the rooms or the bathroom, however, students require a torchlight.
“I joined the campus around August last year, since then I have never seen the wings illuminated,” the student said.
Students added that campus maintenance was poor. The cook who abruptly left a few weeks ago prompted authorities to close the hostel mess till a replacement was found. “We had no food. When we complained, we were asked to eat outside. This went on for a month, but we were still charged for food,” said another student.
Students said the hostel has no emergency medical facility and is home to a drinking water cooler that doesn’t work, forcing students to buy water cans instead. The electrical wiring is poor and also prone to cause shocks, they added. Last month, the girls protested after they did not receive water supply for a whole day. “Around midnight a water lorry was sent to the hostel. We were asked to get our buckets and fill water from the lorry directly,” a student said.
Hostel warden S Sumathi, who is also the head of the department of anthropology at the university, did not take the students’ complaints seriously, they said. “You don’t know who I am connected to, so watch what you say,” a student quoted Sumathi as saying.
When contacted, Sumathi said she had put in her resignation papers six months ago, and is holding charge of the hostel till a new warden takes over. “Students must be thankful that they are getting such good facilities here,” she said.
Asked about the hostel lacking a cook, she said, “They get low pay, hence they leave. And everyday we spend ₹61 on food for the girls. What more do they want? And once we receive government funds we will repair other facilities. But the hostel is very clean and well maintained. Everyone including the vice-chancellor appreciates my efforts, only a few girls are spreading such false stories.”
SEEKING BETTER AMENITIES: After a whole day without water, students were told to fill their buckets with water from a tanker around midnight
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