Pune: Unsanitary Conditions at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hostel Claim Lives of Two Students; Organisations Pointed PMC’s Negligence

Pune: Due to the unhygienic and unsanitary situation in the Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hostel at Ghole Road, two students living in this hostel have died after being infected by jaundice and dengue. After this, PMC faced huge criticism from the various organisations. Organisations have accused the municipal administration of negligence in causing the student’s death.

Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Hostel at Ghole Road is under the jurisdiction of the Pune Municipal Corporation. However, the hostel is in a very bad situation. The hostel building is fifty years old. Similarly, the Municipal Waste Transfer Centre is located next to the hostel. Because of this, the hostel is full of filth, unclean water, and mosquito infestations.

Furthermore, students accused the officials of not cleaning the hostel regularly. In this case, the Chief Organiser of the Maharashtra Navnirman Vidyarthi Sena, Prashant Kanojia, has raised questions regarding the bad situation in the hostel. In a letter to the Municipal Commissioner, Kanojia demanded immediate financial assistance for the parents of the deceased students and free treatment for sick students.

Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also protested on Tuesday regarding the deaths of two students at the hostel. ABVP alleged that students died due to the mismanagement of the hostel administration. “Even after the deaths of two students, the hostel is still unclean. The municipality and the hostel administration are responsible for this incident,” said ABVP’s Pune Municipal Minister, Harsh Vardhan Harpude. He also asked the Municipal Deputy Commissioner, Nitin Udas, to give compensation to the families of the concerned students.

Taking notice of the complaints of students, the Municipal Commissioner visited the hostel along with senior officials. After interacting with the students there, he learnt about their problems and demands. The Commissioner has given instructions to maintain cleanliness in the hostel, to appoint a private organisation for cleaning, and to regularly record the problems and complaints of the students. Nitin Udas, Deputy Commissioner of Social Welfare of the Municipal Corporation, said that the cleaning work in the hostel has already started.