The student wing of a political party has given a 24-hour ultimatum to the administration of Mumbai University to provide a water connection to the new girls’ hostel on the Kalina campus. Party leaders said they will stage a ‘handa bharo andolan’ (fill the water pot agitation) against BMC and MU if their demand is not met.

“It’s been eight months since the hostel was inaugurated and the university has failed to provide a water connection to the hostel building. As there is no water pipe connection in the hostel, water is being supplied by private tankers for the last six months. The students are suffering because of this. If the tanker does not come, they have to pay out of their own pockets for drinking water. It is a matter of shame that the university administration and BMC’s H/East ward, which were quick to arrange overnight parking for a political party’s meetings and rally on two occasions, failed to get a water connection even after eight months,” said Advocate Amol Matele, an NCP spokesperson and leader of the Nationalist Student Congress.