Boundary wall collapse at Berhampur college raises safety concerns for hostel students

Berhampur: Boundary wall of the hostel at Sashi Bhusan Rath Govt Women’s College here collapsed on Tuesday night, allegedly triggered by continuous rain. Around 50 ft of the wall, which runs alongside the road, crumbled. No injuries were reported as the collapse occurred late at night.The wall collapse sparked concerns among the parents about the safety and privacy of nearly 200 students residing in the hostel. Some parents alleged that the wall was old and weakened by persistent rain.Chitta Ranjan Satapathy, college principal, stated that he has ordered installing a temporary tin cover over the collapsed section to protect the privacy of boarders. He added that further safety measures would be implemented for the hostellers. The college plans to reconstruct the boundary wall by seeking funds from the govt. “We will prepare a plan in consultation with the works department and submit it to the govt requesting funds for reconstruction of the wall,” he said.In the first week of Sept, boundary wall of a hostel of Khallikote Unitary University also collapsed due to incessant rain. Though the wall was not yet fully constructed, authorities had to cover the damaged section with tin to ensure privacy of boarders.