Mysuru: Cannot endanger life of students to preserve heritage, says MLA L Nagendra

MYSURU: A day after a wall of the building housing Maharani’s Science College on JLB Road collapsed, Chamaraja MLA L Nagendra, citing a report submitted by the officials of the public works department (PWD), who inspected the century-old heritage structure on Saturday, suggested its demolition, and subsequent reconstruction. “PWD officials visited the college in the morning on Saturday, and prepared a report on its stability. Their assessment is that the building does not merit conservation. They have recommended its demolition,” the MLA said.
The college boasts a rich history, and enjoys an illustrious position on Mysuru’s map of heritage structures. The college was instituted in 1917 by Kemparajammanni Divya Sannidhi, the mother of the then Mysuru maharaja, Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Justifying the need for demolition of the building, Nagendra said, “We cannot endanger the life of students to conserve heritage. Around 25 rooms in the newly-constructed building, beside the existing structure, are ready for use. I have directed the college authorities to start conducting classes in the new block, and not to wait for it to be formally inaugurated.”
PWD officials who inspected the heritage structure in the morning said that they would submit a comprehensive report to the government within two days. “We have collected materials from the building to ascertain whether the structure can be conserved,” said an official.
The college boasts a cumulative strength of 3,850 students, pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. The building houses 35 laboratories. Amid fears of laboratory equipment worth Rs 40 lakh being in danger, Nagendra directed Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) officials to shift these expensive accessories to a place of safety.
MLC Marithibbe Gowda, along with former Chamaraja MLA Vasu visited the college, and conferred with the authorities. Vasu lamented the failure on the part of the government and the authorities to maintain the heritage structure. “The condition of the the remaining portions of the building too is precarious,” Vasu said.
‘Save Heritage’ campaign
Meanwhile, Federation of Organisations and Associations of Mysuru (FOAM) will hold a candlelight march under the banner of ‘Save Heritage’ campaign in the evening on Sunday. Those supporting the campaign will gather in front of the fire and emergency services department building in Saraswathipuram to stress the need to conserve visible remnants of Mysuru’s history.
“Mysuru is called the Heritage City, but we are losing many historic buildings to poor maintenance and neglect. If this continues, there may be no heritage buildings left in the city. This campaign is aimed at getting the government to intervene, and ensure that all 217 historic structures in the city are preserved for posterity,” said BS Prashanth, president of FOAM.