117-Year-Old Law College Building Crying For Restoration

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This story is from December 26, 2017

117-Year-Old Law College Building Crying For Restoration
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Yogesh Kabirdoss | TNN | Dec 26, 2017, 07:45 IST

More than four years after the heritage building housing the Dr A… Read More
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CHENNAI: More than four years after the heritage building housing the Dr Ambedkar Government Law College suffered damage due to metro rail work, the century-old structure is still awaiting restoration.

Portions of the Indo-Saracenic building, which is part of the Madras high court complex and was functioning as the law college till a few years ago, are covered in green cloth to prevent entry of people.

Sources at the law college said the PWD had sealed the building on NSC Bose Road at Broadway three years ago after cracks were found on walls and floors. “The building has remained unused since then,” a security guard at the premises said.

A team of experts commissioned to study the buildings stability in the wake of the damage found several deep cracks in the core of the building. In 2014, a report by the PWD sub-committee and the heritage committee of the high court went into the full extent of the damage. Heritage enthusiast and senior advocate N L Rajah said it was the right time for Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to start the restoration in coordination with the PWD. Noting that the CMRL has a ‘financial commitment’ to restore the structure due to the damage, he said the building could not be restored due to metro rail work. “Now, with the CMRL completing work, restoration should begin,” he said. The law college was functioning out of the 117-year-old building since 1899. It has been categorised as Grade I in the draft list of heritage buildings by the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority. PWD sources said directions must be given by the heritage committee of the high court for restoration.

However, Rajah said the old law college was an independent structure though it was part of the high court complex. “The law college building does not come under the purview of heritage committee of the court. But, if the PWD feels the committee can assist, it has to write to authorities,” he said. Attempts by TOI to get information on the current status of the building went in vain, as neither the principal of the college nor the director of legal studies could be reached.

Top Comment

Veejay Vee
2529 days ago
it is not only this building but even the standards of the law college and their students needs a restoration of dignity, pride, honesty, commitment and intelligence. Restoring the building will be good instead of constructing because, our present day contractors can not construct a building of this quality and reliability after being L1 and after paying so much to govt officials to get the contract..
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