Washrooms raise a stink at Student Centre in PU

Kritika Kanwar
Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, December 18

Nearly a year after a budget of Rs 30 lakh was passed by the Board of Finance (BoF), Panjab University, for the repair of washrooms at the Student Centre (Stu C), ill-maintained toilets still greet the visitors there.

There is no functional women’s toilet at the Students Centre. The washrooms,which were constructed a few years ago, are in such a state of neglect that visitors prefer not to use these. The women’s washroom was stripped of taps, lids and mirror in the absence of any caretaker, immediately after it was constructed.

Scarcity of water and lack of soap in the toilets at the Stu C reveals the sorry state of affairs. These are not being cleaned on a daily basis. The washroom for men is operational but it ,too, lacks maintenance, stinking throughout the day.

Happy, a sweeper at the Student Centre, said, “There is just one security guard at the Stu C during night. He keeps sitting at one place and does not take a round of the whole area due to which thieves have stolen sanitary items at the women’s washroom. I try to clean these as much as I can. I have even complained to the Dean (Student Welfare) about the poor condition of women’s washroom, but all in vain. The boys’ washroom was not constructed properly due to which there were complaints of blockage.”

Ashima, a research scholar, said, “The condition of toilets at hostels is better, which are cleaned everyday. But here at the Stu C, due to the ill-maintained washroom, we use the one at the AC Joshi Library. The boys’ washroom stinks. It becomes difficult to stand at a nearby shop due to it. Tall claims of installing sanitary-vending machines have also gone for a toss.”

Daler Singh, another student, said, “The boys’ washroom lacks maintenance. It stinks so much that it sometimes becomes impossible to stand at the nearby shop.”

Kanupriya, PUCSC president, said, “We have raised the demand for their repairs many times, but all in vain. We even wrote to the XEN of the university about it . Washrooms were constructed but the shopkeepers at the Stu-C did not take the responsibility of maintaining these. The sweeper at the Stu C is also underpaid. We will again raise the demand before the Dean (Student Welfare).”

Dean (Student Welfare) Emanual Nahar said, “I have asked the university XEN to initiate the repair work. I am on leave. I will look into this matter as soon as I come back. The washrooms near the SBI ATM are already being repaired. The ones at the back of the Stu C will also be taken care of.”