Managing Overcrowding during Lunchtime at CEPT

Why This Issue

Between the hours of 1:30 - 2:30 pm, the CEPT canteens, both north and south canteen entertain an overwhelming public. With a student strength of 2700 individuals amongst whom most of the public relies on canteens to nourish them for the day, makes it an impossible task for the canteens to function in an overdrive. This not only leaves unsatisfied customers for the stall vendors but also a creates a hassle within the kitchen which often leads to partially cooked meals due to the time crunch and consumer demand. This often happened to be a cause for the students and teachers to make a late attendance at their respective classes.. Due to overcrowding often there is a lack of seating infrastructure to accommodate the crowd that leads to a further more dissatisfaction within the public.

OVERCROWDING AND HOW IT CAME TO BE .

With the expansion of the student and faculty strength of CEPT from 2000 students to about 2700 students in a course of 5 years. However, the hospitality infrastructure was and always has remained to support a strength of 2000 individuals which has lead to the inconvenience that has been occurring over the past couple of years.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN BY OVERCROWDING ?

Overcrowding or crowding is the condition where more people are located within a given space than is considered tolerable from a safety and health perspective The CEPT canteens find it is difficult to operate in overdrive given that there are 2700 students enrolled, the majority of whom rely on canteens for their daily meals Due to the time pressure and increased demand, this not only results in dissatisfied consumers for the stall sellers, but it also causes a hassle in the kitchen, which frequently results in half prepared meals. This frequently resulted in both students and professors arriving to their respective classrooms late. There are frequently insufficient seating facilities to accommodate the audience because to overpopulation.

Decoding The Problem

Lack of development of the infrastructure form the main reason that has caused overcrowding in the two canteens. To overcome this several steps need to be taken starting with inviting more tenders to open up stalls at university designated spot; makeshift arrangement for tables and chairs to accommodate the vast population of students and teachers.

Tackling the issue

1. Setting up an online booking system for food service - Online booking would ensure that food is prepared by the desired time for service and ensure payment safety fo the vendors.

2. Setting up a microwave area at canteensstudents who prefer not to eat from the CEPT canteen but rather their home food or options other than the canteen can have a hot meal served to them when they desire

5. Increasing the number of food outlets - Call for more tenders to open up stalls at CEPT at various location could distribute the public load on the two canteens.

6. Installing Vending Machines - Adding vending machines to the campus is a great opportunity for a time saving method for a quick snack.

Source: Google images

Public Opinion

Source: Data.com

3. Smart Canteen System - a completely digitised system that works without any human assistance. Fully automated and computerized chefs prepare meals to a consumers delight.

Source: Google images

4. Limiting Options of daily cuisine - Having countable number of items on the menu would easy the task on the chefs and at the same time out decrease the chances of choice dilemma for the consumer

1 individuals stated that it did not make a difference

Source: Google images

Source: Super kitchen Japan

Source: Google images

Source: Google form

15 individuals agreed

Question asked- If the issue of fans affecting you personally ?

1 individual agreed to not being affected by the issue

3. Plinth and steps as a sitting place - The plinth area and the steps of the different faculty buildings at CEPT can offer a fantastic place to eat.

9 individuals agreed to being affected by the issue

Source: Malay Mishra

PUBLIC OPINION

4. Attaching Foldable tables to the canteen walls -

This can be a game changer since tables will occupy space for the required time and ten can be folded back in position.

Source: Google images

Question asked- Would you sign up for a letter of concern to the matter of setting up more lunch sports and better seating arrangement ?

Source: Google form

Subtopic- Lack of Seating Arrangement

Often seen as subpar but a relevant issue of lack of chairs and tables for students and facility during lunchtime With undergraduate students inself being 2700 in number and then in addition to that the masters students that surpass the above number makes it an impossible take for everyone to accommodate with a seating arrangement. And this has been an ongoing issue from the past years But clearly no progress had been made to resolve the problem.

Source: Malay Mishra

1. Resetting TimeSetting up different lunch times for different faculties to avoid conflict in lunch timings Setting up intervals of half an hour for each faculty to sit and eat would create an efficient system

Source: Google images

2. Adding More Seating SpotsPlaces like the North Lawn, adding temporary chairs and tables during lunch hour, sitting tents for a more pleasurable experience.

Source: Google images

Source: Google images

Question asked - Would you want to change the management of CEPT canteen?