Srinagar, Mar 23: The students and the faculty members at the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Srinagar are apprehensive of disease outbreak due to overflowing of drainage water inside the campus.
The sewage water oozes out of the drainage pipes which has inundated some portion of the campus near Tawi hostel block and has spread to canteen area of the campus.
“Students cannot eat any food in the canteen due to foul smell coming out of stagnant sewage water from its surroundings,” said a student.
Another student said the whole place from Tawi hostel block and canteen is filled with foul smell which can result in outbreak of an epidemic.
“We approached the NIT administration number of times but till now no steps were taken in this regard,” another student said.
A professor at the NIT said the sewage water backflows in the campus due to the blockade of the drain. “The drainage pipes coming from Mirza Bagh, Hazratbal are joined by our drainage pipes near NIT gate. All the pipes have a single manhole which has low bearing capacity than the input,” the professor said.
“Due to this, drainage pipes have got blocked and huge silt has accumulated in pipes and sewage water backflows to NIT as it is low lying area,” he said.
The professor said the matter was reported to the office of J&K Lieutenant Governor (LG) for early redressal. “Raj Bhawan has already issued direction to J&K Lake Conservation and Management Authority (LCMA) to resolve the issue,” he said. The students meanwhile said they are facing a tough time in Hostel block and canteen due to the stagnant water inside the campus. “We appeal the NIT administration to clear the blockade so that the students we have a sigh of relief,” a student said.
Registrar NIT, Prof Kaisar Bukhari when contacted admitted that the drainage was blocked due to which the sewage water has accumulated in the campus. “The matter has been reported to LMCA in writing and telephonically as well but no concrete steps have been taken so far,” he told Greater Kashmir.
He however said the executive engineer LMCA has informed that they have floated tenders to carry out necessary repairs of the drainage outside NIT campus. “The executive engineer informed us that the tenders have been floated and will be opened on March 25,” he said.