Mumbai: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has sought an explanation from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) regarding the dengue-related deaths of two students at a PMC-run hostel in August 2024. The deaths had raised serious concerns about hygiene and infrastructure conditions at the hostel on Ghole Road, which houses over 400 students.
Following the NHRC’s intervention, PMC’s Deputy Commissioner (Social Welfare), Nitin Udas, submitted a written clarification after six months, detailing the measures taken to address the issue.
According to the response, the civic body has allocated Rs1 crore in the 2024-25 budget for hostel repairs. Infrastructure upgrades, including replacement of internal drainage lines, repairs to toilet and bathroom pipelines, installation of mosquito nets, waterproofing, and the setting up of a reverse osmosis (RO) plant for drinking water, are currently underway.
PMC has also initiated regular medical camps to monitor students’ health, while the process of providing ₹5 lakh in financial aid to the families of the deceased students is ongoing.
The NHRC has stressed the need for accountability and preventive measures to ensure such incidents do not recur. It has directed the authorities to expedite hostel repairs and to ensure that financial assistance reaches the affected families without delay.
Advocate Kuldeep Ambekar, President of Student Helping Hands, which had filed the complaint, has welcomed the NHRC’s intervention. He underscored the need for continued vigilance to prevent future outbreaks and called for stricter monitoring of student accommodations.
The case has also highlighted a broader public health concern, as Pune has witnessed a sharp rise in dengue and chikungunya cases in recent months. Experts have attributed this increase to fluctuating weather patterns, with heavy rains followed by intense heat and humidity creating ideal conditions for mosquito breeding.
