Playing with Fire

Riya Dutta and another student escaped unhurt, but it took only 15 minutes for everything in room 34 to be reduced to cinder. No material possession could be retrieved. Workers are scrubbing the blackened walls and cleaning the rooms in thatwing on the second floor, but only time will dispel the charred smell.

Dutta lost her Kindle, speakers, laptop and all her clothes. She was only left with her mobile phone and the clothes she was wearing when she went to the garden after lunch. Although the cause of the fire is unknown, university officials authorities have hinted that the residents were using an appliance and had left it switched on when the power went off briefly, causing a short circuit when the electricity was restored 10 minutes before the incident.

Dutta said there was a problem with the wiring of the room. After the Panjab University Campus Students’ Council (PUCSC) put in an appeal, the Vice Chancellor promised compensation to both the girls for their loss, but the amount was yet to be decided.

Down the corridor from the gutted room, there is a fire extinguisher, and a hosepipe in in place too, as on all floors of all girls hostels on the Campus. However, in case of boys hostels, the fire extinguishers and hosepipes are installed only at the hostel entrance.

According to a date stamped on a fire extinguisher in girls hostel 3, they are to be replaced in June. But a hostel resident said none of the students know how to use an extinguisher, nor do they know any emergency drill.

“Although the equipment is replaced on time, there is no awareness on how to use it. We have never been put through a a drill. I don’t know about the security staff, but we have never received instructions on how to use the equipment. At times, girls do not switch off electrical points after use, so incidents of sparks are common.”

Compared to the major fire that destroyed records in the PU administrative block in May 2017, the blaze that consumed one room in the girls’ hostel earlier this month will not go down in the fire department’s records as a big incident, but it has once again brought attention to fire safety on the campus.

During a meeting on January 15, the Dean, Students’ Welfare, Emanual Nahar formed a seven-member panel to probe the cause of the fire in girls hostel 3. That report is awaited, but it has been decided that a fire audit will be conducted at the hostels to pinpoint the shortcomings. The panel has asked the engineering department to repair loose wiring, replace old geysers and provide proper ventilation in the buildings. But PU may also need to educate students on fire safety.

Hostel number 4 is the largest hostel with around 508 residents. A supervisor of girls’ hostel 4, who does not wish to be named, says the buildings are old and open wiring made the premises more prone to fire hazards. The hostels do not have fire alarms or smoke detectors. There are no fire exits. Narrow corridors, cramped spaces and open wiring are common.

However, students too flout norms openly.

“Heaters are strictly prohibited, but students yet use such appliances. For appliances such as blow dryer, iron and electric kettle, girls are charged Rs 100 per item. We also conduct regular checks in the nights and we have penalised many students for using heaters,” claims the hostel official.

“Inspections are carried out regularly and students are fined for Rs 1,000 if they are found using heaters or other banned appliances because usage of such appliances may lead to accidents”, said one of the hostel officials not willing to be named.

A resident of girls hostel 7, says, “Though the authorities claim to conduct regular checks, it never happens. People are using prohibited appliances with impunity. There was no action even after the fire incident. I have never undergone any mock drill or training”.

No fire safety equipment in boys’ hostels

In two hostels for boys, there are no fire extinguishers or alarms inside the hostels to help the students in case of an emergency. Fire extinguishers are installed only at the entrance.

There are five blocks in each hostel where 600 students reside. In all, 4,800 boys live in eight hostels on campus.

Though electrical appliances such as heaters are not allowed in rooms, many say lack of checks on part of the authorities encourages residents to flout norms. A student says, “I’ve lived on the campus for four years, but there are no fire safety measures in my hostel or others. Fluctuation is a common issue and the open wiring is dangerous. We are not allowed to have heaters, but boys keep them as wardens hardly keep a check.”