Arts body halts DTU expansion plans

The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has put a spanner in the plans of Delhi Technological University (DTU), formerly Delhi College of Engineering, to expand its campus. Sidhartha Roy reports.

The Delhi Urban Art Commission (DUAC) has put a spanner in the plans of Delhi Technological University (DTU), formerly Delhi College of Engineering, to expand its campus.

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The DTU had planned to expand its campus, located in Shabad Daulatpur, Bawana Road near Rohini, to build new hostel and academic blocks, and bigger housing facilities for its staff.

DTU, which already has a campus spread over 164 acres, comprises buildings that were part of its phase I expansion. It had submitted a master plan for phase II expansion to DUAC for approval.

Sources said, the plan included construction of two hostels, an academic block and more housing for staff in vacant land available in the campus.

The DUAC, however, observed that two proposed high-rises in the layout that was submitted for approval stood out in contrast to the aesthetics of the campus.

It said the proposed addition of floors to one of the existing academic blocks would block the view of the smaller buildings on the campus.

The proposal was first forwarded by the North Delhi Municipal Corporation in May but a decision was postponed and finally taken up in a meeting of DUAC. The proposal was examined and discussed with the architect of the project.

The DUAC observed that the proposed high-rise block AB-2 in the academic area (next to the existing semi circular block) needed to be re-located since it would have an adverse impact on the architectural character of the existing block.

The commission has also objected to the addition of floors on existing Block EAB-5A, the department of civil engineering block, saying it was 'not acceptable'. The layout of the campus expansion has been partially approved with observations. The project's architect was asked to submit the revised proposal incorporating the commission's observations, so that the final approval could be released.

"These were the initial observations made by DUAC on the master plan submitted by DTU. These observations have already been complied in the revised master plan by the university," a DTU spokesperson said.