Experts to check soundness of centuries old buildings

: The collapse of a 19th century building here on Saturday prompted the government to depute officials of Directorate of School Education and architectural experts to conduct a preliminary study of the soundness and stability of three centuries old buildings housing government schools.
Electricity and Education Minister T.Thiagarajan said experts from IIT Madras, Archaeological Survey of India and Pondicherry chapter of INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage) would ascertain tomorrow the stability of buildings housing VOC Government Higher Secondary School, Calve College Government Higher Secondary school and French school Pensionat De Jeune Filles (a girls high school offering courses in French medium).

"We do not want to take any chance as we are very much keen that the opinions of the expert teams should be obtained to take a decision on the continued functioning of the classes", he said adding that the schools would remain closed for some days from today.
The building housing VOC Government HSS was built by the then French rulers in 1886 while the premises housing the Calve College HSS was built in 1877 and the French school also dates to the 19th century.
The government had already shifted some of the classes of the schools to some other institutions as portions of these buildings were in bad condition.