Students fall ill at Assam Engineering College after monkey found in water tank
More than 40 students at the Guwahati campus required medical attention after consuming water contaminated by a monkey carcass.
At least 43 students of Assam Engineering College (AEC) in Guwahati fell ill after consuming food and water contaminated by a monkey carcass found in a hostel tank, according to reports by The Times of India and The Assam Tribune.
The carcass was discovered in the overhead water tank of Hostel No. 7. Students reported a foul smell in the water and experienced symptoms including vomiting, stomach aches, and diarrhoea.
AEC principal Dr Amrita Ganguly stated that 40 out of 80 students in the hostel reported minor illnesses, while three suffered from diarrhoea. The students received medical care at the Government Ayurvedic College and Hospital.
On Tuesday, doctors from the pathology department of Apollo Hospital visited the campus to conduct blood tests on all 80 residents of the hostel. Dr Ganguly noted that the students have since returned to their classes.
The principal said the monkey likely drowned on Friday night. She explained that a large monkey population from a nearby hill frequently enters the campus, which has led to safety concerns and previous incidents of students being bitten.
The college has requested intervention from the Forest Department to address the monkey menace. Meanwhile, the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) president Utpal Sharma criticised the institution for its handling of hygiene and student welfare.