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Recently, the Administration Section of IIT Kanpur issued an eviction notice to the residents of the Type-1A, Type-1B, and Dhobi Ghat accommodations of the institute, directing them to vacate the premises by December 17, 2024. The decision has initiated conversations across the campus, raising questions about its cause, impact, and future course.
In order to give a thorough account, Vox Populi spoke with a range of stakeholders, including affected residents, administrative authorities, and others, in order to understand the implications of this notice.
Reasons for Eviction as per the Notice
The eviction notice states that inspections conducted by two institutions, the Structural Engineering Laboratory, Civil Engineering Department, IIT Kanpur and Department of Civil Engineering, Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), identified critical structural issues with the Type-1A, Type-1B, and Dhobi Ghat accommodations.
As per the notice, the report from the Structural Engineering Laboratory described these buildings as being in a “severely dilapidated condition” and noted that they “did not meet the seismic requirements of the present earthquake codes.”
The notice also mentions a third-party inspection carried out by the Department of Civil Engineering, HBTU, which reportedly concluded that “the buildings are depleted and unsafe and also cannot be restored by retrofitting.” Based on these findings, the notice declares the structures “uninhabitable,” recommends their demolition and requires residents to vacate within 21 days.
The Investigation Team
To understand the perspective of the Structural Engineering Laboratory, we reached out to nine professors and the Principal Security Officer of the lab. Of these, six professors stated they haven’t worked upon it or were unaware of any such investigation, while the remaining individuals have not responded so far.
Additionally, we contacted the Dean of Infrastructure and Planning (DOIP) and Registrar of IIT Kanpur and also the Department of Civil Engineering at HBTU for their insights. However, we did not receive a response so far.
Affected Residents
On November 27, 2024, personnel including male and female SIS guards and staff from the IIT Kanpur Estate Office served eviction notices to the residents of the above-mentioned area. Additionally, banners were displayed, stating that the premises must be vacated within 21 days due to safety concerns. Warnings written in red ink on the walls said that electricity and water connections would be cut if the premises were not vacated by the stipulated deadline, as outlined in the notice also.
Residents of the above-mentioned area include 17 Dhobi households, several security personnel, employees of the institute’s offices, departments and labs, etc.
The Dhobis
The Dhobi households residing in Dhobi Ghat have long provided end-to-end laundry services to thousands of students and staff on campus. The demolition of Dhobi Ghat would affect these services. In light of this, Vox reached out to the Dhobis to gather their perspectives on the matter:
The Dhobis said that they were issued the notice twice, second time on November 30. The notice was also affixed to the doors and walls of their houses by the administration.
The sudden issuance of eviction notices caused significant unrest among them. In response, they organized themselves and sought support from faculty members, students, and administration to help raise awareness about their situation.
Following is a letter shared by Dhobis regarding the points raised by them:
The primary concern raised by the dhobis was the need for an alternative housing and workplace arrangement within the campus if the institute required them to vacate Dhobi Ghat. They stated that moving off-campus would create significant challenges for their work.
According to them, handling large volumes of clothes daily requires flexible hours and round-the-clock shifts, which would not be possible with fixed working hours. They also shared that relocating could reduce efficiency, compromise the safety of clothes, and increase service costs due to logistical difficulties. Additionally, they stated that they have no housing arrangements outside campus.
To understand the issues raised by Dhobis better please refer to the following coverage of Vox Populi: Dhobighat: A Laundry List of Injustices – Vox Populi
Other Residents
When we reached out to the other residents of the area, they expressed their concerns, stating, “We have no choice but to leave and seek alternative housing outside the campus and continue our work from there. Some residents have already left. We cannot request alternative arrangements as the institute is not obligated to provide them.”
Administration’s Response
The following section of article is based on our conversation with the Dean of Administration (DoAd), Professor Kumar Vaibhav Srivastava
Professor Vaibhav states that the eviction notice is not targeted at any specific group, including the Dhobis, but applies to all residents of the area, which also includes institute staff.
Professor Vaibhav claimed that several Dhobis associated with the institute are already operating from outside the campus. The administration suggests that the Dhobis residing at Dhobi Ghat could follow a similar model.
(In response to Professor Vaibhav’s claim, the Dhobis contended that most of those operating from outside the campus use the institute’s Dhobi Ghat for washing purposes.)
He adds that the institute is ready to assist residents in making alternative arrangements outside the campus, should they request such support. Some residents (not Dhobis) might be getting the House Rent Allowance (HRA) as an alternative.
(When asked, the Dhobis mentioned that no formal written assurances have been provided to them.)
Regarding structural reports and comments mentioned in the eviction notice, Professor Vaibhav directed us to the DOIP, as the former did not have access to the reports.
(When we reached out to the DOIP regarding this matter, we were redirected to the Registrar and the Deputy Director of the institute. Subsequently, we contacted both the parties, but have not received a response yet.)
When asked about the future use of the vacated space, he emphasized that the institute’s priority order is: Students & Faculty > Staff > Other groups (e.g. Dhobis). The utilization of the area will be decided accordingly, based on the pressing requirements of the institute, whether for hostels, labs, or other facilities.
Written by: Ojas Bajpai, Saurya Singh, Vasu Goyal, Venkat Karri, Amogh N, Harsh Ashok Kumar
Edited by: Kaushal
Design Credits: Vidhi Chordia
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