Two college hostels closed for 10 months owing to water scarcity

Two hostels of Polytechnic College at Lohaghat in Champawat district are closed for the past 10 months owing to water scarcity, forcing students to stay in rented accommodation.

The college was set up in 80s at Chhamniya Chaur on Barakot road to impart technical education to boys and girls of the hills. The hostel for boys has 60 beds while the one for girls has 30 beds.

Sources in the college administration said water for the hostels used to be supplied from a natural water body, but it was buried under debris for a year after a landslide.

When the college administration failed to supply water, the students were instructed to vacate the hostels. Since then, the students are staying in the town or nearby area.

According to the sources, following request of the college administration, the technical education directorate in Dehradun has sanctioned ₹15.25 lakh for setting up a mini tube well on the college campus. The amount was released to Jal Sansthan, but construction of the tube well is yet to start.

Gobind Thual, officiating principal of the college, said, “The budget of mini tube well was immediately released to Jal Sansthan. Several months have passed, but the Sansthan is failed to start the work.”

“The students mostly come from poor back ground are forced to stay on rented room. They are also facing a lot of problems other than rent,” he said.

Pawan Bisht, Jal sansthan’s engineer in Lohaghat, said: “We are waiting for surveyors from Chandigarh. They will conduct survey for underground water and suggest us proper place for mini tube well. We will start the construction, once they come and suggest us.”