Research work, personal belongings: Students, faculty at IIT Delhi count losses after lab flooded

It was around 10.30 am on June 28 when a PhD scholar found out that the lab in the lower basement of the KSBS was flooded amid a massive spell of rain. “When I went into the lab to collect my stuff, the water was almost up to the knee level. I have lost my laptop. I am still trying to dry and recover five years of research work,” the student, in his final year, shared.

“Waterlogging in the lab happens almost every year due to rain but this time it has caused a lot of damage to the equipment and research work of several students and teachers. All we are asking for is good working conditions in India’s premier Institute,” he added.

Another PhD student, who is also in his final year, expressed concern about the safety of sanitation workers who are deployed to clean the work. “The water that is floating around in the basement is filled with hazardous chemicals but we see sanitation workers cleaning the lab without any special safety gear. We dispose of such material carefully even while performing experiments,” the scholar said.

“The sanitation workers have not been given any personal protective equipment. So we’re really worried about them,” said a third-year student. Claiming that the water in the lab was dumped without treatment, he added, “All of this is highly unethical, and may lead to further damage to the ecosystem or the populace at large.”

A 10th-semester student lost the chemicals, which are needed while performing experiments. “It might take some time to regenerate them and test them again if they are effective in experiments,” he said.

A student who lost research work of at least one year said, “Every year the water rises to one foot… this year it was five to six feet. I lost all the reagents required for my research.”

A PhD scholar said, “We do not have any place to work for the coming three to four months. Even if we shift to new buildings, there is no equipment as the damaged ones would take much time to repair. It Will take at least one year to start everything.”

The Indian Express reached out to IIT Delhi director Rangan Banerjee, and Head of Department at KSBS Biswajit Kundu but received no response in this regard. Press relations officer Shiv Yadav declined to comment on the issue.