JANGAON : Fourteen students of the Telangana Social Welfare Residential School and College for Girls in Palakurthi mandal headquarters were allegedly bitten by rodents on Thursday evening. The incident came to light on Friday, with students alleging negligence by the TGSWRS authorities.
The injured students were taken to the Palakurthi Community Health Centre (CHC) for treatment. Hospital records indicated that 14 students were bitten by rodents.
District Coordinator Officer for Social Welfare Residential Schools P Manvi Chandu said seven students sustained minor injuries. The students were administered vaccines at the CHC and later taken back to the campus, she added.
The incident and images of the students’ injuries circulated on social media, raising concerns over sanitation and student safety on the campus.
Students said rodents had been entering hostel rooms for several days. They alleged that despite informing hostel authorities, adequate preventive measures had not been taken. A student, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the rodents had been moving freely inside the rooms and that students were finding it difficult to stay there comfortably.
Speaking to the media, P Somanna, father of a Class 8 student and a resident of Palakurthi village, said his daughter was among those bitten by a rodent at the campus. She sustained minor injuries, he said.
School staff informed the family about the incident and took his daughter to a hospital for treatment. On receiving the information, the family rushed to the campus.
Somanna urged the government to take immediate measures to control pests and address the rodent menace on the campus to prevent such incidents in future.
Following the incident, BRS leader and former minister Errabelli Dayakar Rao visited the campus on Friday. However, police personnel allegedly did not allow him to enter the premises to meet the injured students. He later staged a protest outside the campus.
Speaking to the media, Dayakar Rao alleged that the Congress government had neglected social welfare residential schools and demanded action against those responsible. He also alleged that the hostel had lacked basic facilities for three years and urged the government to take immediate steps to improve facilities and ensure student safety.
Official: Students storing food in rooms attract rats
Manvi said some students had stored food items in their rooms, attracting rodents. She added: “We are taking measures to control the rodent menace by spraying pesticides, and the sewage lines are cleaned once a week on the campus.”
