MASSIVE EXERCISE TO UPGRADE INFRASTRUCTURE AND ENHANCE STUDENT AMENITIES UNDERWAY IN BHU
Varanasi: A major exercise to revamp and upgrade the existing infrastructure and develop new facilities is underway in Banaras Hindu University. The exercise aims to enhance student amenities with focus on optimal utilization of resources, preserving the glorious legacy of the university and ensuring that the end users are benefited in the best possible way. As part of these efforts the university has zeroed in several ambitious developmental projects. These include construction of a new state-of-the-art girls’ hostel at Mahila Mahavidyalaya, upgradation and extension of Bhagwan Das as well as Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Hostels, development of academic and residential blocks at the Kamachha Campus, construction of Vishram Sadan for attendants of patients coming to BHU for treatment, modernization and upgradation of display galleries of Bharat Kala Bhawan, renovation & upgradation of Central Library building, restoration and face Lifting of main building for Department of Chemistry, as well as developing a dedicated facility for student activities.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sudhir Kumar Jain chaired an elaborate meeting of all the stakeholders regarding these development projects and comprehensively reviewed the progress so far and future course of action. The meeting was attended by architects and consultants, Directors of Institutes, Deans of Faculties, CPWD and UWD officials, key functionaries of the concerned departments and senior officers of the university. The review exercise over the course of three days saw presentations on architecture, design, and construction, on the projects and detailed discussions on addressing challenges in the implementation strategy.
The Vice-Chancellor said that these projects are being carefully crafted to ensure that the university fraternity is benefited in the best possible way. He said that several buildings of the university need urgent repair and restoration, as well as upgrading as per the growing needs of the university fraternity. “We want to make sure that there is optimal utilization of the university infrastructure, while the glorious legacy of BHU is kept intact. Over the past one and a half year we have undertaken a detailed work on BHU’s master planning, identifying challenges and possible solutions.”
Upon completion of the project, the Mahila Mahavidyalaya will get a major facelift with a doubled hostel capacity. The university has been laying a bigger focus on developing facilities for its girl students. Currently a 1200 seat girl hostel is already under construction on the campus. The proposed MMV hostel is expected to have over 1000 student capacity, with spacious rooms, social spaces, dining halls, reading and medical rooms, as well as provision of lodging facility for parents of students. The existing Science and Home Sciences buildings of the college are also proposed to undergo facelift and will be able to address concerns related to space and advanced facilities.
The Bhagwan Das Hostel of the Faculty of Law, and the Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan Hostel of the Institute of Agricultural Sciences, are also set to undergo restoration. The extension of these hostels will not only almost double their capacity, but also provide better student amenities. Additionally, the scope of developing Shri Vishwanath Temple precinct is also being explored in the interest of the devotees and pilgrims who visit the temple in BHU campus. The temple is visited by nearly 7-8000 visitors daily on a non-festive day. The proposal is looking into creating more parking spaces, to effectively handle heavy crowds during festivals, better amenities for devotees, security measures and beautification of the temple premises.
The Vice-Chancellor was also briefed on the progress of upcoming Critical Care Hospital at the Trauma Centre Premises. The 190 –bed facility is being developed to cater to the long felt need to have a critical care unit at BHU hospital which serves the medical needs of a large population of this part of the country. The facility will also include a dedicated Burns ICU of 20 beds. The university is also looking into rehabilitation of its water supply, sewerage and drainage system which is nearly 60 year old. For this, consultant has been appointed and work is in progress.
Prof. Jain said that the university is moving forward at an impressive pace and the BHU fraternity has a major task before it to match with the changing times and growing needs. He lauded the UWD and CPWD teams for their dedicated work in chalking out comprehensive plans for the overall facelift of the university. He reiterated that there will be no compromise with the quality and regular monitoring as well as review meetings must be ensured for timely completion of the projects.