Mumbai: Students of Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) protested on Tuesday, demanding the resignation of chief rector Abhay Bambore, boys’ hostel rector Prof V B Suryawanshi and girls’ hostel rector Prof Shraddha Suratkar, following the death of first-year diploma student Vedant Patil on Sunday.Patil, who reportedly contracted dengue while residing in the hostel, died on Oct 25, triggering allegations of prolonged neglect of sanitation, water supply and student complaints. Students claimed repeated warnings about mosquito breeding grounds, unhygienic toilets and contaminated mess food had gone unheeded.Patil was occupying a guest seat in the hostel when he reportedly contracted dengue. As his health deteriorated, he shifted to paying guest accommodation around 20 days ago. He subsequently vomited blood, was hospitalised and slipped into a coma before his death, students said. The exact cause of death has not been medically confirmed.In a complaint to the institute, students alleged that garbage had been lying in the open behind hostel blocks for over a year, collecting stagnant water and breeding mosquitoes. Despite repeated complaints accompanied by photographs, it was allegedly not cleared. Several hostel residents reportedly contracted dengue, malaria and typhoid this semester, with some missing mid-semester examinations. Medical reports were also submitted to the institute, students claimed.Water shortages have compounded the crisis. Students alleged that toilets remain without water for days, making them unusable. Women students, including PhD and MTech scholars, have reported urinary infections they believe are linked to poor sanitation.Students also alleged repeated instances of worms and insects in compulsory hostel mess meals. Photographs reportedly showed worms in rice, dead flies in food and a piece of rubber. Worms were allegedly found in noodles served on Oct 2. A complaint was submitted to the Maharashtra FDA commissioner on Aug 13, followed by an inspection, but students claimed the problems persisted.A Yuva Sena delegation met VJTI management and sought psychological counselling for distressed students. “We emphasised the need to allay their fears and help them cope with the situation,” said senate member Pradeep Sawant. VJTI director Sachin Gore did not respond to TOI’s calls or messages.
