Construction woes of H11 residents

Introduction 

IIT Bombay’s student population has increased significantly over the past decades from 3000 in the 1970s to nearly 13000 in 2022. Some of the old hostels built in the 1960s aren’t fit for accommodation, leading to single rooms in several hostels being converted to double occupancy rooms, further contributing to worse living conditions for residents. In light of these challenges, Hostel-21 construction started in August 2023 in the plot adjacent to Hostel-11(which was previously Hostel-8) as a part of Project Evergreen (an alumni initiative to improve student housing conditions), which aims to accommodate 1127 students across three hostels. 

Hostel-11, one of the older accommodations, is undergoing repair work to enhance its structural integrity. A section of the hostel’s outer wall is being demolished and reconstructed as part of this process. 

Unfortunately, over the past few months, these construction noises have ceased to be mere background noises for the residents of Hostel-11; they have become a constant disturbance and led to several issues, significantly affecting the residents’ daily lives. 

Hostel-21 Construction 

Hostel-21 construction started on 1st August 2023 near Hostel-11. Due to the proximity of the construction site to Hostel-11, the residents have been exposed to noise levels averaging higher than 80 Decibels (Source: Screenshot of noise meter result, measured from their rooms by residents on the official Hostel 11 Whatsapp group). This violates the BMC standards, which state that permitted construction noise levels are 75 Db during the daytime and 65 Db at night. Additionally, Hostel-11 is occupied mostly by final-year female students (UG and PG) sitting for placements and/or applying for graduate schools in the autumn semester. With Several firms conducting online tests & assessments, it became difficult for the residents to attempt these from their rooms. This also meant they weren’t getting enough rest due to late-night construction noises (source: recordings of construction noises with timestamps as late as 3 am on the official hostel Whatsapp group) hampered their placement preparation, mid-semester and end-semester exams. 

The complaints started coming up around September 2023. In response to consistent complaints from the students, the General Secretary of H11 sent a mail on 16th September 2023 to the hostel mailing list that stated:

“We had a meeting with Dean SA, ADean SA, and ADean IPS sirs regarding late-night construction on the Hostel-8 site, disturbing the study and sleep of Hostel 11 residents. They have assured us they will consider the changes to the construction schedule during mid-semester week. Additionally, they are exploring the soundproofing option as well. We will update you about that soon.”

The follow-up to the above email was sent a full month later, without any improvement updates within that month, including the midsem week. On 16 October 2023, the GSec forwarded an email from the Alumni Association representatives. The mail provided an update on the construction company’s measures to control noise affecting Hostel-11 residents. The mail stated that the construction company confirmed that it is controlling the noise with regular inspections by monitoring the decibel metre, maintaining a register log, and ensuring there are no noisy activities at night time. The mail also mentioned that a process for getting quotations for installing sound barriers was initiated, and the company is working on a proposal detailing the recommended sound barrier system.

Concerning further noise control, the mail stated:

“ <The construction company> assures to minimise the noise around Hostel – 11 areas during the nighttime and also maintain the construction noise in the daytime as per the BOCW guidelines”

However, according to residents, there was no significant reduction in the noise level.  Adding to further distress, a council member’s message on the official H11 WhatsApp group stated that the idea of a sound barrier system had been abandoned due to prohibitive costs.

“Dealing with the constant construction noise in H11 has been an ongoing challenge since I moved into the hostel last semester. Sleep disruptions, persistent headaches, and the struggle to find a quiet space for studying are a regular part of my life now. Handling placements while living in H11 was another challenge altogether. Apart from having no private space to do placement prep in peace, writing placement tests from my room amid the loud construction noise was incredibly difficult. While I acknowledge the necessity of constructing new hostels, the lack of soundproofing measures, established construction timings or any measure at all from the administration’s side, despite repeatedly informing them of its impact on our health and academics, is horrifying, to say the least.” 

                                                                                                           ~ Hostel-11 resident 

Hostel-11 repair work 

In addition to H-21’s construction, on 28th November 2023 (with placement Day-1 interviews starting in 3 days), Hostel-11’s council sent a mail informing residents of the commencement of repair work in the A wing of the hostel and requested residents to keep their windows closed. As the repair work involves removing and restoring the outer surface of the wall as well as replacing windows, it requires workers to climb and hammer the walls outside the rooms. Hence, the windows needed to be closed. These activities caused particular distress to students residing in that wing, mainly because it started only a few days before the placement season commenced. With sound levels sometimes reaching above 80-90 dB as the construction continued from 10 am-6 pm, people returning after a long, tiring day of interviews couldn’t get proper rest to be fresh for placements the next day. 

“Staying in my room during the repair work nearby is incredibly tough. The loud, constant hammering right against the wall is unbearable. It’s impossible to focus on work or relax with all the noise.”

                                                                                                                           ~H11 resident

Further, most of the residents had privacy and safety concerns as these repairs were carried out outside the most rooms. To alleviate residents’ safety concerns, windows were then covered with plywood, but this boarding for extended periods of time has also led to ventilation issues in the rooms. Green net installation to reduce exposure to dust from the repair work began along the shared perimeter of H11 and the repair work area right outside the rooms in the first week of December, which has been done in A wing but not in C wing, more than two months since it started.

“Boarding of windows has led to darkness in the room, and it’s almost impossible to track the time of the day. Rooms have become gloomy and dark. The air in my room is stale.“

                                                                                                           ~ Hostel-11 resident 

Since the repair work involves the replacement of windows of rooms, there have been instances of workers knocking on windows and seeking permission through the window regarding the same. In cases where the curtains of rooms were not closed, residents were uncomfortable as the workers suddenly knocked and partially opened windows from outside to communicate with the residents. In one such case, a worker unintentionally swung open the window to communicate while the resident was sleeping, which led to safety concerns. When this case escalated to the hall manager, she asked the worker to apologise and ensure this wouldn’t happen again. To address this problem, the hall manager ensured that every student whose room was in the area where repair work was taking place was notified to close their curtains by sending a person from the office to contact each room personally.

In response to safety and privacy concerns arising from the construction, the Hall Manager has urged H11 residents to promptly report any issues to the office, assuring timely redressal. She explained that in cases where rooms are damaged due to construction, affected students can temporarily relocate to other rooms until their original rooms are repaired.

A hostel resident who wishes to remain anonymous mailed ADean SA in the context of the construction noises. In response, he acknowledged receiving concerns and complaints from the residents. He also assured that he is communicating with the Dean IPS office to see what could be done to minimise the noise level. 

There were no further updates from ADean. The aggrieved student also mailed the Director. He acknowledged and apologised for the challenges faced by campus residents due to ongoing construction in the institute. Emphasising the necessity for campus infrastructure upgrades, the director requested cooperation from residents, highlighting the inevitable inconvenience. Additionally, the director mentioned personal disruption, such as constant noise near his office due to the main building’s complete structural renovation.

However, no concrete solution was provided regarding the construction noises faced by H11 residents.

Hostel Council response:

Note from Insight: We would like to point out that the source for all this information is messages on the H11 official WhatsApp group, which were shared with us by numerous residents. We will update this space if and when we receive new or conflicting information.

With the hostel WhatsApp group flooded with complaints from residents, the hostel council approached the relevant authorities, including the hall manager, the hostel warden, and the Deans (SA, IPS). All authorities expressed their sympathy and understanding, requesting cooperation from residents since constructing new hostels is essential to house the growing number of students on campus. Due to numerous complaints from the residents and no response from the authorities, the council, under the guidance of an ISHA, requested the resident’s support in mass mailing the relevant authorities; however, emails were sent by only a few, indicating inadequate support by the H-11 residents. 

The council had also requested the authorities to start Hostel-11 repair work after the endsem and placement interviews were done, which was 1 month later than the timeline planned. They only accepted the request to commence the work after the Endsem exams, 13 days later than the original timeline. 

Insight’s Opinion:

Even though Insight understands the need for the construction work being carried out, we believe it could have been better planned well in advance to prevent the clash with the student placement season. In addition, measures to minimise inconvenience should have been considered before the project began, such as soundproofing, managing noise levels, and relocating people with significant exposure. This could have been implemented well in advance to reduce the distress that H-11 residents have been facing for more than 4 months.

We appreciate the attempts made by the hostel council in addressing the issues faced by H11 residents and reaching out to the administration, as well as the sympathy expressed by the administration concerning construction challenges faced by H11 residents. However, there is a pressing need for comprehensive discussions among all stakeholders to address these issues, as no definitive solution has been provided by either the admin or the hostel council at this time. We suggest that a live sheet be maintained by the hostel council where students can mention the issues and track the updates on the same. At the very least, a stricter timeline of repairs and regular updates about the same can be provided to H-11 residents in order to ensure transparency and accountability in resolving their ongoing challenges.