At Kalina University campus, you go to the toilet to drink water

The water coolers have been placed inside the girls' and boys' washrooms on the department's first and second floor respectively

Inside Mumbai University's Law Department at Kalina campus, if you want to get a drink of water, you will have to head straight to the toilet. This is not a joke. In a bizarre arrangement, the University of Mumbai Law Academy (UMLA) has placed water coolers inside its toilets, both the boys' and girls'.

Apart from being in one of the most unsuitable of places, the water coolers do not have filters attached, forcing students to run to other buildings on the campus. The unusual arrangement is seen in the UMLA building's men's washroom on the first floor and women's washroom on the second floor.

The rising demand for law courses resulted in the establishing of the department. However, since its inception itself, the UMLA has been embroiled in several controversies, including the lack of a full-time director to inadequate staff members and issues related to infrastructure. The water coolers have shocked students who pay high fees to study here. The department shifted from the Fort campus to Kalina at the start of this academic year.

Students prefer to carry water bottles from home or fill them from other departments

"We go to other departments. Most of us carry water bottles from home that serve us for the duration that we are in the department," said a student from the department, requesting anonymity. Adding to this, another student said, "This is bizarre because nowhere will you see a drinking-water facility inside a toilet. It may be near the toilet but always outside it. What makes it worse is that there are no filters attached to the taps, which is usually the case with other water coolers in the university."

The water coolers have become a joke on the Kalina campus as law students rush to other departments for alternatives. "Both, toilets and drinking water are equally important but that does not mean that they should be placed together," said a student.

A senior official from the Kalina campus said, "It is difficult to understand the reasons behind such an arrangement. The contractors may have kept them in this manner as the building is newly constructed. But it is important that authorities take note of this and make required changes. Unfortunately, the head of the department is being changed constantly. As such, no one is able to get a good enough hold on the place to notice such logistical issues. The students too have no one to approach, except the varsity heads."

The department currently does not have a chief. MU's Registrar Ajay Deshmukh said, "I will be visiting the department in the coming week and appropriate changes will be made wherever required."

Catch up on all the latest Crime, National, International and Hatke news here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates