21 January 2004	Wednesday	28 Ziqa'ad 1424

PESHAWAR, Jan 20: Lack of cleanliness at the University of Peshawar has become a source of embarrassment for the students and visitors of the campus, students and teachers told Dawn.

"We have been facing foul smell emanating from the heaps of dirt lying all over the place but the authorities are least bothered about the problem," a group of students said.

According to them, the staff required to take care of the cleanliness at the campus remain busy in the administration block or in the houses of the teachers while the campus is littered with filth and garbage.

The girl students are also at the receiving end because of the heaps of garbage lying in front of the Government Girls High School, near Coffee Shop, Islamia College. The students had to experience the stinking smell of dirt lying just besides the entrance of their school.

Many students of the Khyber Medical College, staying in Cenna Hall hostel, said the heaps of dirt behind their hostel rooms had become albatross around their necks. Despite several complaints, no response was forthcoming from the administration, they said.

"Many a times, we have to sprinkle perfume in our rooms, but that is not the ultimate solution. During nights, the smell becomes nauseating that disturbs our studies," said the inmates of the hostel.

The dumping site just in front of the Girls Tribal Hostel is yet another problem needing the attention of the people responsible for the job. The students said filthy and unhygienic environment was causing diseases among them, which largely went unnoticed and unreported.

The dumping site near the Khyber College of Dentistry (KCD) also create trouble and nuisance not only for the KCD students but also of the Khyber Medical College. Even the passersby and the patients visiting the KCD are also the worst sufferers.

Some of the specific routes are sprinkled with water only on the occasion of the visit of the governor, who is also chancellor of the university. The students staying at the hostels (Nos. 1,2 and 9) are also unhappy with the dirty environment. They say they are faced with a messy situation due to heaps of dirt lying behind their hostels. It disturbs their studies as well as sleep.

"We light agarbattis throughout the nights because of the severe odour coming from the heaps of dirt lying behind the hostel. Several complaints have been lodged with the authorities but no action has been taken so far to improve the cleanliness situation," said the students. Except for the administration block no other place is watered.