NAROWAL: The indifference of the district administration has left 4,000 students of a women’s government college exposed to the threat of dengue. The students have protested and raised slogans against at the administration.

The Govt Muslim Postgraduate College for Women, which is situated in the centre of the city, is inundated with sewage from drains and rainwater accumulated outside in the streets. Two-foot water has accumulated around the academic block of the college after rain and the foul odour of sewage is causing great inconvenience to the students and teachers.

The lawns and tracks of the college are four feet lower than the roads outside, which was why water in the streets accumulates in the college lawn and around the main gate. This has forced the 4,000 students of the college to enter from the rear gate. They have to cross a temporary bridge to enter the academic block daily, while several students have slipped from the bridge. Students also feared presence of dengue larvae in flower pots. Nosha Pervez and Noreen Fatima said they were bound inside the academic block during breaks due to the polluted water outside. Iram Batool and Ayesha Noor said some of their fellows were falling ill due to the odour as well as mosquitoes.

Whenever water accumulates inside the college, the administration informed the Narowal Municipal Committee, which always delays the pumping out of the water.

Anjuman-i-Shehriaan President Sheikh Saaer Ali said that getting education was a fundamental right of students, but the authorities seemed disinterested in solving the problem. He asked who would be held responsible if dengue virus spreads in the college.

Govt Muslim Post Graduate College for Women Principal Uzma Gardezi said she had sent several letters to the senior officials of the education department and district administration, but to no avail. She added that over a month ago Deputy Commissioner Waheed Asghar visited the college when its boundary wall had collapsed, but his visit did not yield any results. No funds were issued for the reconstruction of the wall and she had to pay for it from her own pocket as well as contribution from students, she added.

The students raised slogans against the district administration and demanded Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar take immediate action so that there was no gap in their academic activities.

Published in Dawn, October 10th, 2019