Curious Case of SRK Hostel First Floor Water Cooler

As a resident of the SRK hostel, I’ve noticed a peculiar issue with one of our water coolers. It seems to have a mind of its own and frequently refuses to work at all. Two out of the three water coolers in SRK Hostel have been malfunctioning for over a week at a time. Students have repeatedly filed complaints, and the administration has sent technicians to inspect them. Unfortunately, these efforts haven’t been successful in fixing the stubborn water cooler.

Isn’t it strange? Over 50 to 100 students rely on these water coolers for safe drinking water, and yet two of them simply choose not to function, leaving us scrambling for alternatives. Two semesters have passed, and this issue persists. The water coolers still work at its convenience.

One particularly frustrating night, I decided to confront the water cooler itself. “Why don’t you work for us?” I asked. “You have electricity 24/7, yet you can’t even provide a single drop of cold drinking water. What’s the point if you don’t function properly? The university purchased you to give us safe drinking water, and you even call yourself a ‘water doctor.'”

It replied, “I have a government job.”

A central university that strives to get a higher ranking in NIRF (National Institute Ranking Framework) cannot even provide safe drinking water to its students. In dire need, the water student goes to another floor but another floor’s water cooler has the same attitude. It also sometimes works and sometimes does not. Even if it works then it does not filter the water.

The ground floor water cooler is the last man standing that provides water to 3 floors but can’t provide cold water which is needed in the summer.

Do not know when this problem will be solved as these water coolers do not work for straight one week. Students have no complaints against the administration. The administration is doing a great job.

First, they let us move to another hostel from a hostel where we all were well settled and never faced any problems. Then somebody decided that they wanted students to be life-ready, so they put us in a hostel that lacked amenities. Many rooms are not whitewashed and the building is not maintained properly.

Students are happy with all the difficulties they face. For instance, last semester during exam time, the administration floated a circular about hostel change. It taught students a lesson that you must be ready to handle two or three problems at one time and we are thankful to the administration who gave us stress situations which make us strong every time.

Other hostel students especially the new hostel students are unlucky to have good amenities. These students will not be mentally strong enough to deal with the stressful conditions carefully crafted by the administration, especially for the SRK hostel students.

Students are happy with the way the administration taking care of them, as they are totally ready for any uncertainty. Even many students are opting to join the army after their master’s.

The problem is not with the administration but with the SRK hostel’s first-floor water cooler. It is the water cooler that is adamant and does not want to work. Who knows, it might also want to go to the better hostel but be transferred to the SRK hostel. No matter how many times students complain about it, it do not listen.

The water cooler has taken its govt. job very seriously and do not work for more than two or three days. The administration is doing everything that it can do for students, but when the water cooler has decided that it will not provide water then what hostel administration can do?

If someone has decided not to do his/her job and does not have a responsibility towards the students to provide proper drinking water then nobody can help with it.