Amid Guillain Barre Syndrome, SPPU canteen worker seen sitting with his feet in water filter

Pune has seen an increase in Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases, with over 190 suspected patients

2 min readPuneFeb 11, 2025 11:26 PM IST

The Adarsh Canteen is one of the main canteens on the university campus (Express Archives)

A controversy has erupted in Savitribai Phule Pune University (SPPU) after a worker at the Adarsh canteen was seen climbing on to a water filter to fetch water for cleaning the canteen floor. Rushikesh Chavan, a second-year student at the Political Science department who is associated with the National Students Union of India, said that while walking on the campus on Saturday night he noticed a worker sitting on top of the water filter at the Adarsh Canteen.

The Adarsh Canteen is one of the main canteens on the university campus. In the video captured by Chavan, a worker is seen sitting on the top of an open water filter and passing buckets full of water to another worker, who uses it to clean the canteen floor. Chavan alleged that the feet of the worker were inside the water filter.

Pune has seen an increase in Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS) cases, with over 190 suspected patients. With the National Institute of Virology (NIV) confirming that contaminated water was the main reason behind GBS in parts of the city, such lack of hygiene with the water filter is of concern.

“These repeated incidents prove that the university administration has allowed the dining hall and canteen operators to play with the lives of students. The administration should put a stop to these wrongdoings as soon as possible to prevent such incidents from happening again and take punitive action against those who commit such wrongdoings”, said Chavan.

Dr Jyoti Bhakare, officiating registrar at SPPU, told The Indian Express, “A notice has been issued to the concerned department which is the house manager.”

Soham Shah

Soham Shah is a Correspondent with The Indian Express, based in Pune. A journalism graduate with a background in fact-checking, he brings a meticulous and research-oriented approach to his current reporting. Professional Background Role: Correspondent coverig education and city affairs in Pune. Specialization: His primary beat is education, but he also maintains a strong focus on civic issues, public health, human rights, and state politics. Key Strength: Soham focuses on data-driven reporting on school and college education, government reports, and public infrastructure. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) His late 2025 work highlights a transition from education-centric reporting to hard-hitting investigative and human-rights stories: 1. Investigations & Governance "Express Impact: Mother's name now a must to download birth certificate from PMC site" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on a significant policy change by the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) following his earlier reports on gender inclusivity in administrative documents. "44-Acre Mahar Land Controversy: In June, Pune official sought land eviction at Pawar son firm behest" (Nov 9, 2025): An investigative piece on real estate irregularities involving high-profile political families. 2. Education & Campus Life Faculty crisis at SPPU hits research, admin work: 62% of govt-sanctioned posts vacant, over 75% in many depts (Sept 12, 2025): An investigative piece on professor vacancies at Savitribai Phule Pune University. "Maharashtra’s controversial third language policy: Why National Curriculum Framework recommends a third language from Class 6" (July 2): This detailed piece unpacks reasons behind why the state's move to introduce a third language from class 1 was controversial. "Decline in number of schools, teachers in Maharashtra but student enrolment up: Report" (Jan 2025): Analyzing discrepancies in the state's education data despite rising student numbers. 3. Human Rights & Social Issues "Aanchal Mamidawar was brave after her family killed her boyfriend" (Dec 17, 2025): A deeply personal and hard-hitting opinion piece/column on the "crime of love" and honor killings in modern India. "'People disrespect the disabled': Meet the man who has become face of racist attacks on Indians" (Nov 29, 2025): A profile of a Pune resident with severe physical deformities who became the target of global online harassment, highlighting issues of disability and cyber-bullying. Signature Style Soham is known for his civil-liberties lens. His reporting frequently champions the rights of the marginalized—whether it's students fighting for campus democracy, victims of regressive social practices, or residents struggling with crumbling urban infrastructure (as seen in his "Breathless Pune" contributions). He is adept at linking hyper-local Pune issues to larger national conversations about law and liberty. X (Twitter): @SohamShah07 ... Read More

Click here to join Express Pune WhatsApp channel and get a curated list of our stories

Loading Recommendations...

May 19: Latest News

Live Blog