Nagpur: After days of mounting complaints from girl students battling extreme heat in government hostels, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday ordered the installation of 600 coolers in Nagpur facilities and directed similar arrangements across the Vidarbha region. The move is expected to benefit more than 1,000 girls residing in various government hostels in the city.
Background of the Issue
The decision follows a letter dated April 28 from nearly 100 residents of a government girls' hostel in Besa, where temperatures hovering around 45 degrees Celsius left students struggling without any cooling support. The students pointed out that existing policy rules did not permit the installation of coolers, a position reiterated by hostel authorities and social welfare officials, who cited a lack of provision and funding approval.
Students' Plight
"Due to the rising temperatures, we are facing severe physical distress during exam season," the students wrote in their letter, adding that several of them had developed skin infections linked to prolonged exposure to heat. Officials told the inmates that the rules were framed by bureaucrats in Mumbai without factoring in Vidarbha's extreme climate, with no provision for coolers in hostels. The absence of flexibility in the policy effectively blocked any interim relief, despite repeated appeals.
A signed petition was forwarded to the Chief Minister's office through BJP city president Dayashankar Tiwari, corporator Ritesh Gawande, and member Vaibhav Bawankar. Acting on the representation, the CM directed Secretary Asha Pathan and the Social Welfare Department to immediately relax norms and facilitate cooling arrangements.
Government Response
"Considering Vidarbha's temperatures, existing rules need relaxation," the directive noted, calling for the urgent deployment of coolers in Nagpur hostels and extending the measure to other parts of the region. Students described the situation as untenable during peak summer and the examination period. "Our days were passing in a near-death state due to the heat, but the CM responded swiftly to our request," said Akanksha Uke, with similar sentiments expressed by Sania Devgade, Mai Bansode, Shravani Sutar, and Trupti Nandeshwar.
Most inmates, coming from outside the city, said they had no alternative but to remain in the hostels despite deteriorating conditions. The decision has brought immediate relief, though it also underscores broader questions about infrastructure planning in heat-prone regions.
