HYDERABAD: With a severe water crisis gripping the University of Hyderabad, the administration of the central university is thinking of shutting several hostels accommodating students of Integrated Masters and Post-Graduate courses, barring a few, during the ensuing summer vacation.
University officials have said the duration of the semester, which usually lasts for four months, has been trimmed by a month on account of water scarcity. The semester examinations will come to an end by the end of this month, after which the hostellers will be given a week’s time to leave.
Earlier, students had the option of staying back in their hostel rooms during vacations too by paying the hostel and mess fee. Only one hostel each for men and women students may be kept open.
According to sources, priority will be given to students who want to take exams such as National Eligibility Test (NET) and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) examination, attend campus placement interviews or pursue other academic interests to stay back in the hostels that will be kept open.
More than 2,800 students pursuing Integrated Masters and Post-Graduate courses will have to move out. PhD students are an exception as they do research throughout the year.
The decision on evacuation will be taken in a week. There are 21 hostels in the university, where about 1,800 M Phil, PhD students, and over 2,800 Integrated Masters and Post-Graduate students are accommodated.
“One hostel each for men and women students will be allotted to students who want to take exams or attend internship. Those with academic interests will be given the option of staying back in hostels. The university has been experiencing severe water crisis for the past few months,” the sources said.
It is learnt that evacuation will provide a chance to authorities to undertake necessary repairs of hostels.
The administration has been supplying water to hostels and messes by buying 25-litre water cans at Rs 16 each. A minimum of 40 cans are bought every day for each hostel. The reverse osmosis (RO) plants in the hostels are not being used because the equipment discards more than 60 per cent of water while purifying.
The university used to rely on the water from Manjeera and Singur reservoirs. With the water sources drying up, it has to rely on other sources such as by digging up borewells and buying water from outside.
Meanwhile, the University Students Union has submitted a representation, requesting officials to allow students, who wish to take examinations or attend campus interviews, to stay in their hostel rooms.
Likely Exceptions