A cockroach was discovered in the food served at a canteen in a Lucknow University hostel, leading to complaints from students about the deteriorating quality of the food. The incident was reported by an undergraduate law student residing in the Homi J Bhabha Hostel, who spotted the cockroach on a serving spoon and promptly informed the mess owner. University officials issued a notice to the mess owner, warning of strict action if such incidents were to occur in the future.
The incident occurred at the new campus hostel designated for law students, and a student took a photograph of the serving spoon with the cockroach on it, which was then shared on Twitter. The student also filed a complaint with the hostel warden.
According to the students, the quality of food at Lucknow University hostel canteens has been consistently declining despite repeated complaints. In an effort to draw attention to the issue, one student posted the photograph on Twitter, tagging the university’s vice-chancellor Prof Alok Kumar Rai and the dean of students’ welfare, Poonam Tandon.
The student who discovered the cockroach also alleged that the mess staff tried to cover up the incident when it was brought to their attention. They further expressed hope that the installation of proper camera surveillance in the mess would lead to an improvement in food quality.
Other students echoed these concerns, stating that similar incidents had occurred in the past, including the discovery of cockroaches and worms in meals. Some even mentioned finding hair in their food, with their complaints being ignored by the mess owner.
In a separate incident, students recently noticed moss in the tank used to supply drinking water, and they shared pictures of the issue on social media platforms, causing the images to go viral.
Chief hostel provost Anoop Kumar Singh confirmed that the students had reported the cockroach incident, resulting in a warning issued to the mess owner regarding strict action.
