HUBBALLI: Works are going on in full swing at the Water and Land Management Institute (WALMI) campus where the first batch of the Indian Institute of Technology-Dharwad (IIT-D) will commence this academic year.
The district administration has expedited the renovation works as the IIT-Bombay authorities, the mentor team of IIT-Dharwad, has said that the makeshift campus should be ready by June-end.
“The work is going on smoothly and the higher officials from the administration are regularly visiting the site to check the progress. The building has some dilapidated walls, which need a makeover and fresh coat of paint. The work on the broken windows panes and grills is on where the lecture halls will come up,” said an official.
The IIT-D, one among the six new campuses in the country that were approved by the Central cabinet on Wednesday, had recently announced that it would start three courses this academic year,
For the first few years, the IIT-D will function from WALMI campus, which is about 10 km from Dharwad city centre. A site has been identified Mammigatti village to construct its own campus.
“The Indian Institute of Technology -Bombay team, which visited the WALMI campus a few times in the last two months has listed out the facilities that are urgently required. The old houses which lay vacant on WALMI campus, will be converted into hostels for the students. The government has already released funds for the renovation works and the makeshift campus will be ready by June,” the official added.
Deshpande thanks Smriti
Minister R V Deshpande thanked Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani for the Union cabinet clearance on setting up the IIT in Dharwad.
In a letter, he stated that the land for IIT campus has already been identified and the state government will extend all support to establish it.