Delhi University (DU) on Saturday said that arrangements have been made for the basic requirements of students who are still living in the hostels and are unable to return home due to the shutdown of non-essential services.
“University of Delhi stands in solidarity with the students residing in the hostels, who could not leave for their hometowns due to travel adversaries as a result of nationwide lockdown. All necessary basic amenities have been arranged for them,” the university said in a statement, adding: “Mess facility is operational in the university-maintained hostels. Adequate medical attention has been ensured to bonafide residents.”
Several hostel residents, however, said that the arrangements were too little too late as many students had been forced to leave the hostels several days ago.
“There was panic as hostel residents were asked to make alternative arrangements. While most of us left some had to stay back as they could not make other arrangements. We had to convince the authorities to allow students to stay,” said Amisha Nanda, a first-year student of the Faculty of Law.
Christina Ering, a resident of the North-Eastern Students House for Women, said: “We had to threaten authorities with legal action to be able to make people stay in the hostel. It is not easy for people to go back to the Northeast as some had connecting flights and buses, which were cancelled. Not all have local guardians. The authorities should have given students some time to make alternative arrangements.”
