Contaminated water sickened 43 students at Assam Engineering College in Guwahati after a monkey was found dead in an overhead hostel water tank, prompting the evacuation of Hostel No. 7 and medical checks for all 80 residents.
The monkey was suspected to have drowned in the tank on Friday night. Students began reporting stomach aches on Saturday, followed by complaints of foul-smelling water, vomiting and diarrhoea. The water was also used to prepare food for students living in the hostel, according to the report.
AEC principal Dr Amrita Ganguly said 40 of the 80 students in the hostel had reported minor illnesses, including vomiting and stomach ache, while three students complained of diarrhoea. The affected students were treated at the Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital near the campus.
Doctors from the pathology department of Apollo Hospital visited the college on Tuesday to conduct blood tests on all 80 students staying in the hostel. Ganguly said the students had since resumed attending classes. The college shifted the residents to another hostel after the incident, while the affected water tank was cleaned and disinfected.
The incident has also raised concerns about the protection and maintenance of water infrastructure in a campus environment. According to Ganguly, a hill behind the college is home to a large monkey population, and the animals frequently enter the campus in search of food, particularly during the afternoons. She said the monkeys often break the lids of water tanks, creating a recurring risk for hostel residents.
Ganguly said the monkey population had affected everyday campus life, including students’ ability to use the playground. She described the situation as a safety concern and said a student had recently been bitten by a monkey and required medical treatment, including anti-rabies treatment.
The principal said the college had written to the Forest Department two or three times seeking intervention. She added that the institution did not have the resources or equipment needed to address the growing monkey menace and urged the department to take appropriate measures. The immediate response announced by the college is the relocation of students, medical testing, and cleaning and disinfection of the affected tank.
