Assam Engineering College (AEC) students protest acute water crisis on campus

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) faced a severe water crisis for nearly two weeks after the deep borewell supplying Hostel No. 3 ran dry, forcing many to leave the campus in search of water while examinations were underway. The ongoing crisis disrupted daily life and eventually led to a sustained protest that compelled authorities to intervene.

PWD (Building) officials announced that work on a new deep borewell would begin on Sunday, following persistent student demonstrations and rising frustration over the delay. The affected hostel, one of the oldest Assam-type structures on the campus, experienced a sharp decline in its groundwater supply over the past 12 days, leaving more than 70 students dependent on external sources for water.

Tensions escalated when agitated students blocked one of the main entrance gates of the Jalukbari campus and hung empty buckets as a symbolic protest. The demonstration drew considerable attention and prompted a police presence on campus. A boarder, requesting anonymity, suggested that the sudden depletion of groundwater may be linked to the increasing number of borewells in nearby residential areas, describing the situation as unprecedented.

The Students’ Federation of India (SFI), Assam State Committee, condemned the government for what it called “administrative oversight” and criticized the college authorities for citing insufficient funds to fix the pump. The organization argued that inadequate investment in essential infrastructure reflected a growing neglect of government educational institutions, despite large public expenditures elsewhere. SFI demanded the immediate release of funds to restore the water system and address long-pending infrastructural issues.

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