IIT-Kgp students see red over high iron content in Nalanda complex water
Times of India | 8 February 2026
Kolkata: Students at IIT Kharagpur raised alarm over an exceptionally high concentration of iron in the water at the Nalanda complex. The water flowing out was dark red in colour. Students said the water was filled with sediments and oxidised iron. Reacting to it, IIT authorities said they were overhauling the water pipes and carrying out a study of the water supply system on the campus to address the concerns.
The campus's student media body, IIT Kharagpur, Awaaz, wrote in a Facebook post that "high iron concentration and rust from ageing pipelines leach into the water supply, transforming ordinary water into hues of brown and red" and "the state of the water in the Nalanda complex is a blatant failure of basic campus infrastructure."
Dean of infrastructure Aurobinda Routray said, "IIT Kharagpur is an old institution with very old pipelines and a water supply system. There are around 20,000 students on the campus, and in some pockets such as the Nalanda complex, they face this problem. We already addressed the concerns. We are conducting a study of the water supply system and are overhauling the old pipelines and tubewells to modernise our water supply system. A major portion of the work is completed. We are also on the way to digitise our water supply system so that we can monitor leakages and measurements, and can take prompt action whenever there is a crisis. Apart from this, we are also adapting sustainable practices like rainwater harvesting and reusing sewage water for gardening."
A student said, "Regular classes are held at the Nalanda complex. We face this issue of high iron concentration in tap water whenever we go to the washrooms between classes. It is a prevalent problem here due to leakages in the water supply system and old, rusted underground pipes. We have also informed authorities about this problem."
A teacher shared, "It is not always that water in hues of red and brown comes out of the tap. It occurs sometimes." A campus resident pointed out, "Sometimes, red-hued water comes out of the tap in our quarters too."