Hyderabad: A recent spurt in cases of insect rashes has made life difficult for students at the University of Hyderabad (UOH). Often called ‘acid flies’ by students, the tiny creatures are mostly present near hostels on the south campus of the varsity.
Sarvesh Babu, an MA Communication student from UOH had to vacate his hostel room owing to the repeated presence of acid flies. “After getting bit, there is constant burning pain for a while initially. It kept getting worse and for a day I couldn’t open my left eye at all because of the swelling,” he told Siasat.com.
Things got so bad for Sarvesh that he had to leave his hostel room and find accommodation in a hotel. “Even when I returned to my room to get some work done, acid flies were swarming the room again,” said Sarvesh, who has since left UOH for vacations.
For many students, this is an ordeal that occurs every year. Suheel Nazeer, an integrated psychology student who has been staying on the UOH campus for over three years calls this a regular affair. “The scars that won’t go. They remain a constant reminder,” he said.
Another student, SK Shahista, was affected when she visited UOH’s south campus to meet friends. On the north campus, where she lives, the issue is minimal. Owing to swelling in her eyes, Shahista had to defer an internship joining date by a week.
Administration dodges questions
UOH’s dean of Students Welfare deflected questions on the issue and directed questions to the University Health Centre personnel. The chief warden, who is responsible for the upkeep of hostels, was not available for comment in spite of repeated attempts.
Other students also allege apathy from the administration.
According to Rishikesh PK, an activist of the Students’ Federation of India who lives in the worst-affected south campus, the administration’s stop-gap measures have failed to address the problem behind the breeding ground for these flies.
What the University CMO says
The University’s Chief Medical Officer In-charge, Dr Ravindra Kumar, said that there has been a rise in such cases in recent times, owing to the increased spells of summer rains. These flies are mostly seen during early mornings and late evenings when there is more moisture in the air.
According to the CMO, these flies sit on the bodies of people and secrete venom, causing a kind of insect rash. The rashes will disappear in a couple of weeks, after the application of ointment. “Acid flies are a colloquial name for these insects that cause these rashes,” he said.
“However, some skin types do show more reaction. It varies from person to person, just like when a bee stings,” he added. He also confirmed that the insect problem is restricted to some hostels on the south campus.
As summer nears its conclusion, things have started getting back to normal on the campus. However, this does not deter the reoccurring issue that the University faces every year.
