ISI Kolkata students protest, block main gate over waterlogging in hostels

Students of the Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata, blocked the institute's main gate for two hours on Thursday evening to protest waterlogging around its hostels, The Telegraph reported. Students alleged that the problem had persisted for several years and that their complaints had received little attention from the administration.

The ISI campus at Bon Hooghly in north Kolkata has five hostels, all of which are reportedly affected by waterlogging. According to The Telegraph, the recent spell of heavy rain has worsened the situation, leaving students facing unhygienic conditions and mosquito-breeding sites around the residential campus.

Following the protest, ISI chief executive (finance and administration) officer Ravinder Kumar visited the hostel area and walked through knee-deep water, according to the report.

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Students demand action over flooding

A research scholar told The Telegraph, “After the administration’s seniormost representative heard us out and promised a permanent solution, we opened the gate.” The student also alleged that the administration had earlier not paid attention to the hostel residents' concerns.

Students also alleged that the administrative campus did not face similar waterlogging. One student told The Telegraph that the protest was intended to force the administration to address the condition of the hostels.

Following the protest, a meeting between students and the institute administration was scheduled for Friday at the director's chamber. The Telegraph reported that attempts to contact ISI director Amartya Dutta for a response went unanswered.