VIT Bhopal jaundice outbreak: 4 water distribution points on campus were contaminated

The Indian Express has previously reported that a report by an official panel formed to look into the November 25 violence, where around 4,000 students went on a rampage on the college premises, found that the administration at VIT Bhopal allegedly attempted to cover up a jaundice outbreak on campus.

On November 26, fresh samples of drinking water and food materials were collected. Parmar told the House on Tuesday, “Upon testing the drinking water samples, four out of 18 distribution points were found to be contaminated. The Registrar of VIT University was instructed to take necessary measures to eliminate bacterial contamination at all distribution points. The Assistant Engineer, Public Health Engineering Department, was directed to collect fresh samples from all water distribution points and submit a new test report.”

According to university records, symptoms of jaundice were found in 23 male students and 13 female students. The university had previously denied that its water samples were contaminated. A VIT University spokesperson told The Indian Express, “The important thing to consider is that these samples were taken from Hostel-1, which did not report a single case of jaundice. Secondly, these samples were taken in used mineral water bottles, which may be the reason they tested positive.”

Parmar also apprised the House that a commission “has also taken action on various complaints received from time to time against VIT University” and “in one case, a monetary penalty of Rs 10 lakh was imposed”.

The university spokesperson said, “The fine was imposed on us for allegedly not following the proper ordinance for our courses. We had applied for the proper ordinance again, and a team had inspected our campus to check our infrastructure, but despite this, they slapped us with a fine.”

On Tuesday, Congress leaders Hemant Satyadev Katare and Dinesh Jain tried to corner the government on why action was not taken against the university previously and also alleged that “VIT University is built like a fort”, where even the district Chief Medical Health Officer was not allowed to enter for two hours and kept waiting outside the university gates.

Parmar told the House, “It’s true that there were constant complaints, and this had led to significant resentment among the children for a long time.”

“It’s also true that no outsider can go there under normal circumstances. There had been an incident in the past too… It is true that the system there was not right from the humanitarian point of view, and hence, we were forced to take strict action because as soon as the committee report came, we immediately spoke to the Chief Minister and decided on the same day that on this basis, we would proceed further,” Parmar said.

He assured that the Madhya Pradesh government “was going to take action that is as stringent as any university has faced”.

“Action should be taken so that the management understands”, and that if any other university “treat students in this manner, they too should understand that the government will take action”, the minister said.

When the Congress leaders called for the withdrawal of the FIR registered against the students, Parmar said that “the future of not a single student will be ruined, because this problem has arisen due to the management of the university and not due to the students”.

“Our government is committed, and under no circumstances will any such action be taken against the students that may harm them,” Parmar said.