Many old buildings of Jadavpur University have become so worn out that chunks of concrete are coming off frequently, posing a risk to students and others, the university has said.

A JU notice says no further false ceilings should be allowed in these buildings and the roofs should be cleared of junk.

The December 10 notice, signed by acting registrar Indrajit Banerjee, says: “In old buildings, incidents of loose chunk/flakes falling from overhead ceiling areas are often reported, which may be a cause of injury.... No further false ceilings should be allowed in old buildings.... As in most of the old buildings, the problem of seepage exists, it is desirable if false ceilings can be removed.”

The teachers have been told not to stack unused furniture or lab equipment on the roofs of the buildings.

A JU official said the pharmacy building, chemical engineering building and Prayukti Bhavan are among the structures in disrepair.

Not only are their roofs worn out, but chunks of concrete are coming off the façade of the buildings. The stairs of the buildings have developed cracks.

Manojit Mandal, the head of JU’s English department and a member of the university’s executive council, said the condition of the staff quarters is also bad. He lives there.

Registrar Banerjee told The Telgraph : “We have written to the higher education department seeking around ₹ 71 lakh for immediate repairs of the staff quarters. The estimate was prepared in consultation with the PWD. We want to thoroughly repair other buildings, too. We hope the funds will be sanctioned. The university is facing a funds crunch.”

Bhaskar Gupta, the interim VC of JU, had on August 30 written to the higher education department urging it to increase the allocation for the 2024-25 academic year because the funds that had been sanctioned were “not sufficient to run the day-to-day expenditure of the university”.

The National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which recently accredited the university, said in its report that JU’s financial constraints were coming in the way of the maintenance and development of infrastructure.

In July, JU’s teachers had written to the VC stating that several buildings were in “dangerous condition, completely unfit” and “risky for everyday use”.

Partha Pratim Roy, the general secretary of the teachers’ association, said all the university did in the name of repair was some patchwork in the run-up to the visit by the NAAC in September.