Clean washroom? Certainly, a jackpot

Ishrat S Banwait

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 22

The first place most people visit after waking up is the washroom. A hostel inmate at Panjab University (PU) would give anything to get a clean, stink-free washroom but they are not that lucky. Apart from stink, broken mirrors, sinks and exhaust fans add to their misery.

The condition at boys’ hostels is worse and one cannot blame solely the authorities for it. Students say many a times they see a sink and its surrounding full of vomit, which is most likely done by somebody who had drunk too much. Another problem is the leakage in hostels, which the authorities say will be taken care of soon.

However, the authorities have to be blamed for the exhaust fans that do not work and mirrors that do not reflect much as they are full of dirt. The lack of water is another issue. It is coupled with broken, free flowing taps, which leads to water wastage.

An inmate of a girls’ hostel said, “Too much water is wasted, when available. There are many taps that are running free and no one repairs them.” She adds that her room is right next to a washroom and she is unable to sleep due to constant dripping of water from taps.

When contacted, Dean (Students Welfare) Emanual Nahar said, “A team led by the executive engineer visited all boys’ hostels on Saturday. Wardens have been asked to prepare a list of problems and these will be addressed soon.”

An inmate of a boys’ hostel said, “Finding a clean toilet with the availability of water is a jackpot. It is a daily struggle.” However, wardens claim that repairs are constantly carried out but students are in a habit of damaging facilities, including windowpanes and mirrors.