Leading the way in darkness
By Nawaz Yasin Islam
North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), a university with the potential for excellence has indeed excelled in a venture previously not thought of!
The only sane explanation for the failure of the entire electrical system is the accumulation of grants that caused a disruption in the proper functioning of the transformers. It, for certain was not ‘poor maintenance’ but ‘lavish maintenance’ that rendered the breakdown of the rather ‘pampered’ transformers.
If not in the field of innovation or contribution towards the society, NEHU has found a more noble way of making it to the papers.
A central university being able to reach a situation where the Vice Chancellor has to hold ‘candle-light’ meetings is remarkable. At least we now know that power, administrative capabilities and ‘disaster management’ are words that do not even have a remote existence in the governing body.
Another plausible explanation for the transformers in a central university breaking down like a pump exposed in a paddy field is that the grants sanctioned did not quite define the meaning of uninterrupted ‘power supply’.
Most of the Rs 2.7 crore allocated for uninterrupted power supply out of the Rs 50 crore from the UGC was possibly directed at making the lavish arrangements of 24 hour halogens and air conditioning systems to function in the ‘majestic’ rooms of our ‘inventors’.
The defensive claims of the authorities are amusing at their own levels. The sanction and utilization has many ‘digits’ missing and it is well known that a zero added or subtracted can easily curve your lips upward or downward. Even if lightning was a reason, a simple question here would be, “Can a crore more be sanctioned for arrangements of device protection from the Godly bolt?”
Money has never been an issue and ‘one heavenly strike’ is all that was needed to prove this. The VCs powers, as always illustrated, are hampered by ‘official’ reasons and tenders that float so much that they never settle! One zap of 5 billion joules of energy (enough to toast 100,000 slices of bread) and the next moment Rs 15 lakh comes out in the blink of an eye for the procurement of a 1 MVA transformer to stabilize the situation. Let us keep aside the fact that this ‘life-saver’ transformer was possibly bought from a scrap yard for Rs 15 as it crashed in just a few hours.
There are numerous workable special protection methods to prevent lightning damage to equipment and possible harm to associated working personnel (just in case they feared the hair rising outcome of working with the transformers!). Special protection methods to prevent lightning damage are simple, very reliable, and inexpensive, particularly when compared to the cost of equipment repair and replacement, as well as the possible consequences of harm to personnel.
So a humble request here would be that “if you are caught in the act, don’t waste time but help to rectify.”
Biting off more than that can be chewed has been a problem faced by many. While being amused by the fact that the centre grants you crores in a golden sack, the basic backup technology and disaster aversion plans are forgotten. Well, no one gives a second thought to indigestion in front of a lavish dinner!
It is really entertaining to see the counter statements being thrown at the questioning public by the group of ‘We-will-die-in-the-name-of-NEHU’ who refute poor maintenance. If allegations are to be believed, NEHU has clearly lost the fundamental right of justifying and voicing a comment but all that they should be doing is clearing the ‘audit papers’ and get things back on track.
Situation is far worse than having to walk in corridors brushing the fingertips along the walls or having to stay in a room with the frail luminance of a candle. The losses are beyond imagination be it financial or intellectual and the ‘unexplainable’ adds to its beauty. The hostellers are caught in the eye of the storm. They are reduced to corpses lying silently in a cemented coffin. No electricity means no mobile (50% casualty), no laptop (20% injury), no water for responding to urgencies (20% havoc) and reduction in food services (10% salt over wound). Combine this and you have a starved guest who pays and looks dehydrated by the onslaught of miseries. Parents would be far from being delighted when they see their children reading textbooks under candlelight, covered by the greasy ‘dirt of ignorance’. This is one scenario where stench, odour and every imaginable misery is welcomed. Like some sources alleged amazing statements from authorities, “Beta, barish ka pani peelo aur samosa kha lo kuch dino ke liye (Drink rain water and last on samosas for a few days)”, the scenario currently could be the best and appropriate sequel to Danny Boyle’s 127 hours! At least the fake gesture of providing water from other sources and distributing mineral water bottles would have been appreciated.
Hostellers aside, the plight of the Research scholars in various departments is worth being mentioned. With most synopses of the newly admitted Research scholars due in September, the ‘fluctuating’ entertainment offered by the University has severely stalled the progress of their work. Lightning scares them a billion times more than other citizens these days!
Lab work came to a complete standstill, more like an agitation of sorts and those departments not having alternatives have to witness gut wrenching scenes of their samples being contaminated. What is painful here is the loss of hard work and not the loss of University ‘paisa’ because it never meant anything to the people themselves.
Chemicals and other samples that are temperature sensitive and need to be maintained at a particular temperature are in a world of their own, being exposed to hell! Damaged samples can also be related to wasted field money. Hands surely get dirtier the deeper we dig.
This is not intended at mocking but technological advancements have been another problem. With the ‘digital era’ in vogue, e-books and e-papers are most sought after and even if you can’t indulge in laboratory work, the university has made sure that you can’t indulge in any academic work at all! Though the library had some luminance granted to it, yet timings had to be adjusted to ensure its limited utilization. Energy resources had to be rationed out and no major machines could be running on any. NEHU has seriously taught us ‘survival strategies’. It is very interesting to see how researchers schedule their work according to the time the generator is kept on.
Lack of information and shying away from making a public comment has intrigued many. There has been minimal information disbursed to the student community regarding the problem. The casual “light kal aayega” has been the only statement that drew crowds of hundreds to the campus everyday only to be misled and remain sitting idle. The habit of biting fingernails finally has some use! Public has to demand accountability and transparency regarding utilisation of fund by the University which is allotted by the Central government but in reality, NEHU can surely solve this mammoth issue that has tarnished its image in front of the new comers who ‘thought’ NEHU was a top ranked central university. The departments in campus itself can ensure that such a drought like scene never occurs. The Geography Department can issue warnings; the Physics department can chip in with their help in providing ways to save the transformers. The Law department can file an RTI to look into the various diversions in the river of money while the Maths department can help calculate the loss incurred. While the Life Science depts can help save the flora and fauna of the campus.