Shantiniketan Students Hold Symbolic Funeral for Water Cooler Amid Drinking Water Crisis

In a dramatic display of protest, students of Kala Sangit Bhavan Boy’s Hostel at Visva-Bharati University organized a symbolic funeral procession for a faulty water cooler, marching from their hostel to the Proctor’s Office to highlight concerns over unsafe drinking water.

Carrying the defunct cooler like a bier, the students turned a routine grievance into a powerful visual statement. The protest, they said, was the result of repeated complaints about the unhygienic condition of the water cooler and the poor quality of water it supplied—complaints that allegedly went unaddressed by the authorities.

“We have been raising this issue for a long time, but no action has been taken,” a student involved in the protest said. “The water is not safe to drink, and it directly affects our health. This was our way of showing how serious the situation has become.”

The demonstration culminated at the Proctor’s Office, where students reiterated their demand for immediate intervention, repair or replacement of the faulty equipment, and a long-term solution to ensure access to clean drinking water in the hostel.

The protest at Shantiniketan reflects a wider pattern of student unrest across Indian campuses over basic amenities, particularly water quality. Similar symbolic protests have been reported at Savitribai Phule Pune University, where student groups staged a mock funeral for non-functional water filters in hostel premises, demanding urgent repairs and accountability.

Concerns over drinking water are not new. Reports from University of Bhopal have previously highlighted complaints from hostel residents about impure water, with students raising alarms about potential health risks due to contamination. In another incident in Pune, protests intensified after a student reportedly died following an electric shock from a water cooler, further underscoring safety lapses linked to poorly maintained infrastructure.

Media reports and past incidents also point to a history of student agitations at Visva-Bharati. Coverage by The Telegraph has documented previous campus protests, including disputes over student spaces and infrastructure issues. Water-related concerns have surfaced intermittently, indicating that the current protest is part of a continuing struggle over basic facilities.

Other institutions have faced similar challenges. At Indian Statistical Institute, hostel residents have reported frequent breakdowns of water coolers, forcing students to depend on alternative—and often unhygienic—sources. Meanwhile, a jaundice outbreak at VIT Bhopal University in 2025 triggered protests over sanitation and water quality, highlighting the potential health consequences of neglect.

Together, these incidents point to a broader, pan-India issue where infrastructure maintenance in student hostels often lags behind basic needs. Despite growing investments in higher education, essential services like safe drinking water continue to be a recurring concern.

For the students at Kala Sangit Bhavan Boy’s Hostel, the symbolic “funeral” was more than just a protest—it was a call for accountability. As one student put it, “We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for something as basic as clean water.”

With the issue now in the spotlight, students hope that authorities will take swift action to address their concerns and prevent further escalation.