The water leakage in the newly renovated auditorium of Kala Academy on Sunday evening following a pre-monsoon shower reportedly drew severe criticism over “sub-standard work”. However as strange as it may seem the Public Works Department (PWD) reportedly said that the seepage was from the AC duct. The question that arises is how did the AC duct develop leakage only when there was a heavy downpour? How was there water logging at the art gallery also? Does so much water flow through the AC duct to cause such a large quantity of water to pour in the auditorium? It may be recalled that recently when a false ceiling collapsed at the center of art and culture, the PWD report submitted to the state government has reportedly blamed the incident on the water that accumulated on the edifice’s slab due to fallen leaves choking the drainage. Remedial steps should have been taken after the infamous concrete roof collapse at the Open Air Auditorium in July 2023. It is learnt that the renovation work has been done at an estimated cost of Rs 60 crore.
