Panel report to be tabled before Syndicate

Tribune News Service 

Chandigarh, December 5

A report of the Panjab University (PU) panel on poor quality of construction of several buildings on the campus will come up for discussion before the Syndicate, which is a governing body of the PU, in a meeting on December 8. 

The panel had chosen buildings, which had come on the campus during the last 16 years of expansion of the PU. It had expressed serious concern over the poor quality of construction at the University Institute of Applied Management Sciences (UIAMS), International Hostel, Dr HS Judge Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Bio-Medical Sciences Block I and Block II — all located on the south campus in Sector 25 — and Rajiv Gandhi College Bhawan and Guru Teg Bahadur Hall, both located on the Sector 14 campus.

In a meeting held on June 18, the panel comprising Senators Jarnail Singh, Dr Rabinder Nath Sharma, Dr Dalip Kumar and Dr Subhash Sharma, recommended that: “On the basis of facts, persons responsible for the lapses should be identified and responsibility should be fixed. Steps should also be taken so that such lapses in the construction work are not repeated in future.”

The issue was brought before the Syndicate meeting in September with the reply of the PU Executive Engineer, but then the Syndics had called for bringing the report. 

What the report says 

The report, which is a part of the supplementary agenda, says: “In regard to University Institute of Applied Management Sciences, International Hostel and Dr HS Judge Institute of Dental Sciences it has been found that there is a huge problem of leakage in all the buildings inspected. The problem is acute in washrooms wherein ducts and rainwater pipes are leaking, leading to unhygienic condition in washrooms.” 

Poor ventilation at dental institute

The report further states that: “There is poor ventilation at the dental institute, especially, in the faculty area. Dampness in a few balconies and lobbies as well as fungal growth has also been noticed.” 

“At many places, wide cracks can be noticed, giving a shabby look. There is a poor craftsmanship at many places. Thus aesthetics is missing,” the report adds.

Incomplete UIAMS building

“A part of the UIAMS building has been left incomplete like flooring on the top floor and stairs among other things,” says the report. 

The report pointed out that many floor tiles had not been properly cured/cemented leading to frequent replacement. “Debris from construction has not been removed and nor the area behind the UIAMS building has been levelled. Many electrical points need constant repair/replacement,” the report adds. 

Cracks in science blocks on south campus 

The report further points out that: “The quality of construction at two science blocks Bio-Medical Sciences (BMS) I and BMS II, located on the south campus is extremely bad. There is perpetual seepage and cracks across both the buildings. The tiles on the outside have started peeling off. To reduce peeling off the tiles, clamps have been used, which give a shabby look.”

Seepage at Rajiv Gandhi College Bhawan

There is seepage in most washrooms of Rajiv Gandhi College Bhawan. Floor tiles are broken at many places. There is fungal growth at many seepage points. Cracks have been noticed in many walls of the bhawan.

Regarding Guru Teg Bahadur Hall, the report says, “Except for minor seepage, which require attention, the building appears to be appropriate.”

What Executive Engineer of PU says

In reply to the report, PU Executive Engineer RK Rai had stated that most issues were not concerned with quality of the construction, but were routine maintenance issues, which were being sorted out. 

The biomedical sciences blocks had been provided with Dholpur stone cladding, which had some problem with the expansion and contraction of the building, he added. 

Their office did not have any solution to falling stones, he said while adding that the UIAMS building was built on a huge pit, which was used for waste disposal by an erstwhile slum colony there.