900 students at Madras univ college learn in fear in crumbling buildings
Staff Worried About Ceilings Falling Down
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:04.07.2019
More than 900 students and 30 staff members of a constituent college of University of Madras in Thiruvottiyur are in constant fear of ceilings of dilapidated buildings that are more than 40 years old falling on their head.
The college operates from a corporation school on Poonthottam Road where it began functioning seven years ago as a temporary arrangement. A unitary complex with an anganwadi centre, a corporation primary school, a special tahsildar’s office and a park function out of the same campus. What’s more, there are only four toilets each for men and women. “We are in constant fear. One of the staff members had a narrow escape recently as a chunk of concrete fell a feet away from him. Almost, all the buildings are in a bad shape,” a staff member said. “Despite the fund crunch, the university has promised financial help to plaster the ceilings and undertake some maintenance work. The college could not find a piece of land to have another building,” said a syndicate member of the university.
The college offers five under-graduate programmes – BA Tamil, BA English, BCom (general), BCom (computer applications) and BCA. It’s a co-ed college with girls constituting more than 70% of the students. None of the 30-odd teaching staff is a full-time employee. The college has 15 guest lecturers and 15 part-time guest lecturers. Against a requirement of 15 classrooms, the college has only eight rooms and classes are being conducted in two sessions to accommodate the students. The first session functions from 8.10 am to 12.45 pm and the second from 1pm to 5.35pm. The college caters to the needs of children from poor background from Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Kavarapettai and Ponneri. “With better facilities, the college could get up to 3,000 students,” said a faculty member.
“In Tiruvottiyur, there is no vacant land to build a college,” said K Kuppan, a former MLA who played a key role in opening the college. “The government has allotted a piece of land near Ernavur flyover, but the land was mortgaged by a government agency for a loan. The government has also allocated ₹20 crore for a building, but we decided to construct a new structure, locals who use the playground opposed it.”
The government has allotted three acres of land near CPCL in Manali. “Considering pollution and access issues, the proposal was kept pending. If there is no other land, then we may have to settle on that one,” said Kuppan.
COMING APART: University of Madras Arts and Science College (constituent college) functioning from an old corporation school premises on Poonthottam Road in Thiruvottiyur; (right) a broken wall on the campus
Staff Worried About Ceilings Falling Down
Ragu.Raman@timesgroup.com
Chennai:04.07.2019
More than 900 students and 30 staff members of a constituent college of University of Madras in Thiruvottiyur are in constant fear of ceilings of dilapidated buildings that are more than 40 years old falling on their head.
The college operates from a corporation school on Poonthottam Road where it began functioning seven years ago as a temporary arrangement. A unitary complex with an anganwadi centre, a corporation primary school, a special tahsildar’s office and a park function out of the same campus. What’s more, there are only four toilets each for men and women. “We are in constant fear. One of the staff members had a narrow escape recently as a chunk of concrete fell a feet away from him. Almost, all the buildings are in a bad shape,” a staff member said. “Despite the fund crunch, the university has promised financial help to plaster the ceilings and undertake some maintenance work. The college could not find a piece of land to have another building,” said a syndicate member of the university.
The college offers five under-graduate programmes – BA Tamil, BA English, BCom (general), BCom (computer applications) and BCA. It’s a co-ed college with girls constituting more than 70% of the students. None of the 30-odd teaching staff is a full-time employee. The college has 15 guest lecturers and 15 part-time guest lecturers. Against a requirement of 15 classrooms, the college has only eight rooms and classes are being conducted in two sessions to accommodate the students. The first session functions from 8.10 am to 12.45 pm and the second from 1pm to 5.35pm. The college caters to the needs of children from poor background from Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Kavarapettai and Ponneri. “With better facilities, the college could get up to 3,000 students,” said a faculty member.
“In Tiruvottiyur, there is no vacant land to build a college,” said K Kuppan, a former MLA who played a key role in opening the college. “The government has allotted a piece of land near Ernavur flyover, but the land was mortgaged by a government agency for a loan. The government has also allocated ₹20 crore for a building, but we decided to construct a new structure, locals who use the playground opposed it.”
The government has allotted three acres of land near CPCL in Manali. “Considering pollution and access issues, the proposal was kept pending. If there is no other land, then we may have to settle on that one,” said Kuppan.
COMING APART: University of Madras Arts and Science College (constituent college) functioning from an old corporation school premises on Poonthottam Road in Thiruvottiyur; (right) a broken wall on the campus
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