Students fall ill at Assam Engineering College after monkey found in water tank
More than 40 students were treated after a monkey's carcass was discovered in a hostel water tank in Guwahati.
More than 40 students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) in Guwahati fell ill after a monkey was found dead in a hostel water tank, according to reports from The Sentinel, Times of India and Urban Acres. The carcass was discovered in the overhead water tank of Hostel No. 7 after students complained of a foul smell in the water.
AEC principal Dr Amrita Ganguly said 40 out of 80 students in the hostel reported minor illnesses such as vomiting and stomach ache, while three students complained of diarrhoea. The monkey is suspected to have drowned in the tank on a Friday night. The contaminated water was also used to prepare meals at the hostel mess.
The affected students received treatment at the Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital in Jalukbari. On Tuesday, doctors from the pathology department of Apollo Hospital visited the campus to conduct blood tests on all 80 students residing in the hostel. Dr Ganguly stated that the students are now attending classes.
Following the incident, the college shifted the residents to another hostel and cleaned and disinfected the water tank. Dr Ganguly noted that a large monkey population from a nearby hill frequently enters the campus and often breaks water tank lids.
The principal said the college has written to the Forest Department two to three times seeking intervention regarding the monkey menace. She added that the institution lacks the resources or equipment to address the issue and urged the department to take measures.