New Delhi, February 25 A gypsum panel ceiling in a portable classroom collapsed at Dyal Singh College of Delhi University on Wednesday while a class was in session, officials said.
Dyal Singh College principal VK Paliwal confirmed that no one was injured. College authorities attributed the incident to aging infrastructure, noting that several classes are currently being held in temporary porta cabins.
“Many of the porta cabins in the college where classes are being conducted are old, and it’s difficult to assess the current condition of these porta cabins. We are trying to develop the college's infrastructure as quickly as possible and have signed several MoUs for it,” Paliwal said.
Students said that the sixth-semester BA History class was in progress in room number 36 when the ceiling collapsed. “This porta cabin classroom was not in good condition like many others and is located behind the college library,” a student said.
The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) said that all porta classrooms were vacated and locked immediately. College authorities have assured that safe classrooms will be provided within 10 days.
According to teachers, the college is in dire need of new buildings as student enrollment is high and the college's infrastructure is in poor condition, and redevelopment projects have been stalled for years.
“The college building construction, which was supposed to be completed in the years 2018-2019, is still incomplete. The college has paid huge fines and penalties but the issues related to infrastructure upgrades have not been addressed yet," a college professor said on condition of anonymity.
In a statement, ABVP, the student wing of the RSS, said that its members conducted a joint inspection of all porta cabin classrooms.
“Considering student safety as a top priority, all porta classrooms were vacated and locked immediately. ABVP has demanded that all such classrooms be repaired and made structurally safe within 10 days," it said.
Further adding that the college administration has assured that all porta classrooms will be restored in accordance with prescribed safety standards within the next 10 days, and regular classes will resume thereafter, ABVP said in the statement.
