With issues such as multiple sightings of rats in the kitchen, worms and metal pieces in food, non-functional washing-machines and leakages; the boarders of hostel 15 at IIT-Bombay have complained of severe hygiene and maintenance troubles. Owing to the absence of a students’ council for the hostel, which has a capacity of over 900 residents, maintenance issues have remained unresolved. As the new academic year has begun and more student residents back on campus, the issues have yet again come to the fore. Insight, the official student media body of the premier technology institute, highlighted the issue in a recent social media post. “Hostel 15 residents have been living in extremely unhygienic and dangerous conditions for a long time now. The major issues are multiple sightings of rats in the mess and kitchen area and worms and metal pieces found in food. Often, the complaints related to the mess are not registered on time. Washing machines and dryers are scarcely functional. Recently, one of the washing machines broke down and the water from it flooded the wing and entered rooms before the problem could be resolved. Leakage in bathrooms is leading to formation of fungus in the rooms. There was also an instance of a fan coming off the ceiling and falling on the floor,” said the post by the student-media body. A member of the students’ council said, “Each hostel inside the campus has a students’ council which looks after maintenance issues. Hostel 15 does not have its own students’ council yet. We have now started the process of forming one and soon, all these issues would be resolved.”
