TIRUCHY: Manapparai Government Arts and Science College at Pannapatti has emerged as one of the most sought-after colleges in Tiruchy with nearly 96% of its sanctioned seats filled this academic year. However, the high admission rate is juxtaposed by the infrastructural deficiencies, including an acute water shortage, inadequate bus connectivity, and the absence of a compound wall, canteen and playground.
The college, which currently has 1,026 students enrolled across seven departments offering undergraduate programmes, is facing a severe drinking water crisis after its borewell dried up. The administration is now relying on private water tankers and water drawn from a nearby Pannapatti panchayat borewell to meet its daily requirements. Principal N Malarmadhi said the crisis surfaced after summer as the campus is located on rocky terrain with a poor groundwater table.
“The borewell within the campus has completely dried up. We are currently depending on another borewell shared with the panchayat, but even that is likely to dry up soon. We urgently require an exclusive borewell to ensure uninterrupted water supply,” she said.
The water scarcity has also affected the campus aesthetic. “We have stopped watering the plants, and most of them have withered away, leaving the campus looking barren,” a senior faculty member said. Faculty members also pointed to poor transport connectivity as a major concern. While there is a direct government bus service to the college in the morning, students do not have a direct service in the evening.
“Students have to walk nearly two kilometres to Samathuvapuram Junction to board a bus after classes. The lack of regular bus services causes significant hardship, especially for those travelling from remote villages,” the faculty member added.
The college, established in 2022, initially functioned from a government school before shifting to its permanent campus at Pannapatti, inaugurated by former Chief Minister M K Stalin in 2025. The choice of Pannapatti as the campus location has also come under criticism. While some residents argue the college should have been established within Manapparai town, citing the chronic water scarcity in Marungapuri block, others defend the location, citing its central location within Manapparai Assembly constituency, making it accessible to students from surrounding villages.
Mohamed Hussain, a Manapparai-based social worker, said the demand for a government college in the region was over five decades old. However, he too questioned the site selection. “Land was available in Manapparai town, but the college was established around 16 km away in Pannapatti despite the area’s known water scarcity. Since rainfall had been adequate for several years, the issue did not surface earlier. However, deficient rainfall over the last two years has exposed the problem,” he said.
The college also lacks a compound wall, with a panchayat road passing through the campus. According to faculty members, the absence of a proper campus boundary poses safety concerns and makes it difficult to clearly demarcate the institution. The college also does not have a canteen or a playground. Faculty members further said that additional classrooms would soon be required as admissions continue to increase. Manapparai TVK MLA R Kathiravan told TNIE that the issues had been brought to his notice by students and that he had personally inspected the campus.
“I will soon submit the college’s requirements to Higher Education Minister P Vishwanathan. Besides infrastructure, the college also requires adequate permanent teaching staff. Presently, it has only one permanent faculty member, three teachers on deputation and 17 guest lecturers.
“A college with such high enrolment deserves a stronger permanent workforce,” he said. “The bus connectivity issue will be resolved within a week, as I have instructed TNSTC officials to operate additional services during peak hours,” he added.