Seven months after being inaugurated with much fanfare, the new girls’ hostel and three other buildings at Mumbai University (MU) still have no water connection. The 75 girls in the hostel rely on a water tanker which comes once in two days, and the cost per tanker is Rs 5,000. The situation has irked many students and student activists who have alleged that varsity cannot get basic things done and wastes money instead. Occupants of the hostel, fearing backlash, refused to speak on record.

“Why should the university pay Rs 5,000 per tanker? Today we caught the tanker supplying water to the new girls’ hostel. The other three buildings, including the international students’ hostel, too, do not have water connections. I am sure they must be calling for tankers there, too. After facing water woes, the MU administration started calling for water tankers in October 2022. Since then, they have been calling for tankers once in two days,” said Pradeep Sawant, former senate member from Yuva Sena.