CUSAT hostels face acute water shortage

KOCHI: On World Water Day, the Cochin University of Science and Technology (Cusat) campus is reeling under water shortage. “Exams are approaching and we have many things on our hands and added to this is the water woe. We did take out protest marches but in vain,” said students of different hostels. “About seven students of Instrumentation have left the hostel as they fell sick and showed symptoms of jaundice,” said Aswanth M P, union secretary.They said they have  stopped protesting of fear that contaminated water may be supplied on the campus. Now tanker lorries are supplying water on the campus.“The water level of Periyar is coming down. Due to deforestation, the soil is unable to retain water and this is bringing down the ground water level and it is affecting the university too. We don’t have adequate staff or infrastructure to conduct projects related to water,” said Suguna Yesodharan of Environmental Studies, Cusat. University authorities were not available for comment.