PANAJI
Nearly three months after the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras agreed to conduct the long-awaited structural audit of the Kala Academy, the Goa government is yet to begin the process to onboard the experts officially.
The cultural complex, designed by the late Charles Correa, has been at the centre of controversy over structural and technical flaws that emerged despite extensive repairs over the last three years. Roof collapse at the open-air amphitheatre, water leakages in the AC auditorium, sound and lighting problems, and damaged false ceilings had triggered calls for an independent assessment of the building’s integrity.
In September last year, the State government constituted a Task Force “ comprising artists, experts and govt officials “ to review the renovation. It recommended a fresh structural audit, a proposal strongly backed by the Charles Correa Foundation, which has repeatedly raised alarms about the condition of the complex. The foundation specifically suggested that IIT Madras be entrusted with the task, citing the institute’s expertise in conservation of older concrete structures.
Sources in the government told The Goan that in June this year, the Task Force sent an email request to IIT Madras after the Public Works Department allegedly claimed the institute was not cooperating.
The source confirmed that the institute responded promptly, agreeing to take up the audit and preparing to raise an invoice of Rs 1.5 lakh.
“But the PWD, which must process this, has not yet initiated the onboarding. This has posed a fundamental question: whether the structural stability of the building can be relied upon,” a source said, adding that fresh renovation will be carried out only thereafter. The officials are also to meet to deliberate on the issue.
Earlier, the Charles Correa Foundation wrote to the PWD, making it clear it would not participate in further reviews unless a structural audit was conducted and the building certified safe for public use.
In 2019, the State acknowledged the fragile condition of the open auditorium. Reports from Goa Engineering College and the Mumbai-based consultancy firm Gem Engserv Pvt Ltd reportedly confirmed that the building needed repairs, but deemed the open-air slab to be in good condition. It has been under restoration since 2021.
