http://expressbuzz.com/cities/chennai/scst-hostels-house-human-dumps/233823.html
SC/ST hostels house human dumps
Gokul Chandrasekar
Express News Service
First Published : 24 Dec 2010 03:09:08 AM IST
Last Updated : 24 Dec 2010 01:41:55 PM IST
CHENNAI: The term unhygienic would be an understatement if one were to
describe the situation prevailing at Dalit students' hostels in
Chennai.
Water laced with sewage, dilapidated toilets, faeces strewn across the
premises and garbage that has not been cleared for months are but a
few examples of the nauseating scene you find there.
Blame it on the authorities and students, though the former have a
greater role to play.
Lack of maintenance staff, government inaction, corruption and rampant
illegal occupation are few of the pressing issues disclosed by the
inmates and authorities when Express visited the hostels.
In Kodambakkam hostel, the sewage and wastewater flow out in the open.
When it rains, they stagnate around the Government elementary school
located within the same compound.
When Express visited the premises, food waste and sewage were
stagnating around the school and hostel premises with larvae breeding
on it.
"We have been requesting the authorities to take immediate measures to
curb this problem but there has been no action," claims the hostel
warden Thomas Ponniah.
Worse, the mixing of sewage with the water used for cooking and
bathing is endemic. Yet, no action has been taken till date.
Students in the Kodambakkam hostel have been plagued by diseases like
malaria, jaundice and typhoid, a fact acknowledged by the hostel
authorities.
"The food we get here smells and tastes so bad that we end up buying
curry from outside to consume the rice from the hostel. Our families
can't afford that kind of money to buy food from hotels regularly so
we take up parttime work to meet our food expenses," says T Pradhu, an
inmate of the Kodambakkam hostel.
Prabhu has just recovered from a bout of illness reportedly after
eating hostel food.
"Most students in our hostel work part time at delivery boys in
hotels, paper marts or conduct field surveys for companies to eat
quality food," adds Prabhu.
The primary reason for lack of hygiene is the lack of workers to
maintain the hostels.
"As per government norms, we should have 23 workers for scavenging,
cleaning, cooking and security. But at present we have just seven,"
says Thomas Ponniah.
At Villivakkam hostel, there are just 12 toilets for 360 inmates, most
without doors! "If these issues are not addressed, we will mobilise
the entire student community and go on an indefinite strike," says
Ilayaraja, a New College student.
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