Nearly a year after the Senate Hall of the University of Kerala was opened after renovation, the roof of the building was found leaking, prompting the authorities to carry out another round of work to plug the defect.
Since the hall was opened in May last after being closed for months to carry out renovation, seepage through the ceiling due to faulty roofing has been detected.
“There has been seepage through the ceiling. Rain water has been leaking through various points in the hall. But there are no visible cracks so we believe there is no structural damage.
Efforts to get back the contractor to do the repair did not materialize hence we have not returned the deposit collected from the firm,” Pro-Vice- Chancellor N. Veeramanikandan said.
The University, he said was trying to find a suitable firm to find out the cause of leak and undertake repair work at the earliest so that the second phase of renovation could be taken up.
Syndicate member B. S Jyothi Kumar said the cause of the leak could be due to the false roofing and after ascertaining the exact reason a decision would be taken whether to blacklist the firm involved in the renovation.
RenovationThe first phase of renovation taken up at a cost of Rs. 50 lakh, included giving a face-lift to the interior, replacing chairs, improving lighting and audio-system. The portraits of former Vice-Chancellors which adorn the hall were redone, Mr. Kumar said.
In the second phase, the hall would be air-conditioned and balcony spruced up. There are also plans to install closed circuit television cameras, he added.
