BERHAMPUR: Even after three years of its functioning, the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) is running from a transit campus here amid inadequate facilities.
Owing to persistent demand from different quarters, the Central Government had set up the seventh IISER of the country in Berhampur in 2016.
The premier institute has been functioning from a Government ITI here since 2016.
Though the state government had allotted 200-acre land at Laudigaon village under Kanishi tehsil, construction work failed to take off due to non-availability of water at the proposed site.
As groundwater level depleted drastically at the site, arranging water for construction work will be highly expensive.
Even the proposed site is nearer to the sea and the authorities concerned have not obtained the necessary clearance from Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).
The transit campus though functions in a multi-storey building, it lacks fire safety measures, adequate space and drinking water facilities.
The institute requires around 25,000 litres of water daily for drinking as well as research purpose.
In order to resolve the issues, a meeting was convened where IISER authorities apprised Ganjam Collector Vijay Amrita Kulange of the problems at Chhatrapur recently.
It was revealed that last year, IISER had sought two more floors from the ITI, which, however, refused.
Later, the ITI authorities agreed, but demanded Rs 95 lakh from IISER to shift the equipment from these two floors.
However, the issue remained unresolved as the IISER authorities agreed to pay only Rs 65 lakh as per estimation of the CPWD.
The Collector directed the Executive Engineer of PHEO to initiate necessary measures to provide adequate water to both transit and permanent campuses.
It was proposed that water will be supplied to the new campus from Rushikulya river.
The IISER authorities also proposed to construct three approach roads from the NH to its new campus immediately. The Collector said work on the approach roads will begin after sanction of funds.
He also assured that he will urge the state government to sanction Rs11 crore for supplying power to IISER from Narendrapur grid.
The Collector also directed the ADM to monitor progress.