KOCHI: The once prestigious college in the city is falling into ruins due to the lack of proper maintenance. On Tuesday, the students of third-year BA Malayalam course of Ernakulam Maharaja’s College were greeted by a sad sight. A portion of the roof of their classroom had caved in! The situation was serious enough to make the authorities move the students to another classroom.
Sources at the college stated that the building has heritage value and is over a century old. It previously housed the elementary school that evolved into the present-day college. “The building accommodates the Malayalam Department. Despite multiple complaints, there has been no action to address the deterioration affecting the structure, which reportedly began in the upstairs bathroom. Further delays in repair could potentially risk the stability of the building,” said a source.
It is reported that two months ago, engineers from the PWD visited the place to assess the damage to the wooden structure. “However, no further action has been taken.
One of the large wooden pillars in the classroom near the collapsed area is in poor condition and may not remain stable for long,” said a source at the college. According to sources, the building was constructed years ago using limestone and wood.
“What has happened is that water from the toilet near the office of the head of the Malayalam Department might have seeped into the wood flooring, decaying the lime fillings between the wooden beams. This might have led to rot setting in the wood, making the structure unstable,” added the source.
The students alleged that if the college authorities had taken steps to carry out maintenance work in the toilet when complaints were made, things would not have deteriorated to this extent.
The college authorities are not bothered about the upkeep of the heritage buildings on the campus, the sources alleged. Meanwhile, in a letter to the principal of the college, the assistant engineer of PWD, Ernakulam, has directed that the rooms 43, 45 and classrooms 111 and 112 in the building
housing the Malayalam Department should be locked and cordoned off.