KATHMANDU: Lawmakers from the House of Representatives have directed officials of Tribhuvan University (TU) to immediately improve the deteriorating sanitation and basic management at the university’s central campus girls’ hostel in Kirtipur.
The directive came after a parliamentary team conducted an inspection of the Ishwari Girls’ Hostel on Thursday afternoon and found alarming conditions inside the facility.
The visit, led by the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee, is believed to be the first of its kind at a TU hostel. The inspection focused on the kitchen and water supply system of Block ‘E’ of the hostel.
Committee chairperson Abdul Khan, along with several other lawmakers and officials, visited the premises and found the kitchen extremely dirty, with unwashed utensils, filthy tables, and unhygienic seating arrangements. Students told lawmakers that they had repeatedly complained to the university administration but had been ignored.
During the inspection, students shared their grievances directly with the MPs. Sabina Regmi, an MSc third-semester student, told the visiting lawmakers that they often struggled to get even basic access to clean water.
“We have faced situations where there was no water even to wash our faces in the morning. When we tried to raise this with hostel officials, the warden told us this was a government hostel and that we had to make do with what we had,” Regmi said. She further added that complaints regarding the unhygienic kitchen were met with rude responses.
Another student, Rohana Joshi, said the water supplied to the hostel was not only scarce but also too dirty to use.
“During our menstrual periods, we were forced to clean ourselves with just one pot of muddy water. We were told repeatedly that it takes time to process government work, even in urgent matters,” Joshi said.
She explained that when electrical fixtures and infrastructure broke down, students were often forced to collect money themselves to fund repairs because the administration failed to act.
Following these complaints, the parliamentary committee confronted TU Campus Chief Akaldev Mishra and Proctor Rajendra Kuwar, demanding an explanation for the unacceptable conditions. The lawmakers said their observations confirmed that the hostel failed to meet even the minimum standards of hygiene and health security.
Committee chairperson Abdul Khan called the situation disgraceful and said denying students access to clean water and basic hygiene constituted a violation of their fundamental rights. He said it was deeply unfortunate to see such neglect in a prestigious institution like Tribhuvan University.
Also present during the inspection was Dr. Ishwar Subedi of the Department of Food Technology and Quality Control. He collected water samples from the hostel and stated that cleanliness in food preparation areas should be given utmost priority.
He assured that the collected samples would be tested for quality and pledged further monitoring. He also warned that if the same complaints were heard again in the future, the committee would consider taking stronger action.
Free Student Union (FSU) president Deepak Raj Joshi, who also accompanied the team, criticized the university administration for habitually ignoring student complaints.
“Officials at TU have a tendency to disregard student concerns when voiced in a polite manner. They only act when we apply pressure. A recent example is the demand to fix the toilet facilities. It was only addressed after students locked the principal’s office toilet in protest,” he said.
The inspection has drawn public attention to the conditions students face in public university hostels.
Lawmakers emphasized that students should not be deprived of basic dignity, clean water, or sanitation and urged the university to act immediately. TU officials were directed to address the grievances without delay, with lawmakers warning that inaction could invite further scrutiny from the committee.
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