PU asks UT admn to increase height of south campus boundary wall

With Panjab University struggling to ensure security at its south campus, the varsity has written to Union Territory (UT) administration to raise the height of wall between Bhaskar colony and the campus.

The letter was recently sent after a security audit of varsity’s Sector-25 campus found loopholes in its security system.

The campus houses University Institute of Engineering and Technology, Dental Sciences College and University Institute of Applied Management and Sciences, along with a number of hostels. Additionally, the varsity is also shifting a number of departments the Sector-25 campus, for which work is underway.
Officials told Hindustan Times that while the campus already housed a girls’ hostel, a new hostel for women opened recently.

“The wall between UIET campus and rally ground is merely four feet high. Anti-social elements could easily sneak in, thus exposing the hostel and the campus to crimes,” said an official.

While the actual height of wall was around six feet, this was truncated after a road that came up along the wall. It has also been broken at several points.

An official from hostel No 9, not wishing to be named, said some anti-social elements even pelted stones at the hostel from the road on the other side of the campus.

“This occurs every now and then, although nobody has been injured so far. For instance, a piece of marble was pelted at the hostel mess with a great force on Sunday. It seemed like it was pelted with a catapult,” said the official, claiming that they were helpless.

The varsity, meanwhile, has deployed three security personnel along the wall to provide roundthe-clock security. A watch tower is also under construction to have bird’s eye view of the wall.

“But this is not a permanent solution. One of the hostels is right in front of the wall. Increasing its height could help avoid any untoward incident,” the official added.

Confirming the news, PU’s chief security officer Anil Monga said, “The wall comes under the jurisdiction of UT administration,” he said.