Students Of Delhi's Lady Shri Ram College Asked To Vacate Hostel For Repairs

Lady Shri Ram (LSR) College For Women has asked the residents of its hostel to vacate the 260-room facility which will be temporarily closed for repair work, students said on Wednesday.  

The decision was taken after one resident suffered injuries recently following the collapse of a bathroom cubicle roof in the hostel.  "A student suffered injuries in the roof collapse incident. We have been asked to vacate the hostel rooms so that the repair work could be initiated. Students are fine with it because the hostel needs repairs," Kritika, a first-year student, said.

However, no deadline has been given to the hostel residents.  "A meeting has been called for today to discuss the matter by the warden. After which things will be more clear," said another student.  The hostel authorities have informed the students that the security deposit of the students will be refunded along with the remaining fee.  The hostel residents said no alternative accommodation has been provided to them.  When asked, LSR College Principal Suman Sharma refused to comment on the matter.  In an undated notice, the hostel warden said that the college invited a structural engineer to give his observations on the state of the building.

"His initial report without going into any details is that structural deficiencies have been noticed. In addition, there is also leakage of water from blocked drains and pipes which have started rusting.

In this situation, we will have to undertake major repairs as the engineer has advised that it is not safe for residents to stay in the building," the notice said.  The structural engineer has told the college the work may go on for a considerable period of time, the notice mentioned.  "In view of this, the hostel authorities have been advised to close down the hostel as soon as possible, as we are concerned about the safety of the students. We will refund the security deposit and the remaining fee that has been deposited for staying in the hostel," the notice said.  Lady Shri Ram College has a small hostel for first-year students only. The students are supposed to find alternative accommodation at the beginning of their second year of study in the Delhi University college.

There are approximately 260 seats available for allocation based on merit, across all categories.  "Rooms are generally shared by two/three students, though a few single rooms available on the basis of merit. Prospective first-year students who live beyond 50 km (one way) of the college can apply," an official said.  In a separate incident, the roof of a corridor of Kamala Nehru College partially collapsed, a teacher said.

"No one was injured in the incident. The college requires immediate repair work," she said.

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