Apart from students, Jogeshwari’s sprawling Ismail Yusuf College campus remains a popular spot for those out for jogs, morning walks, or those who intend to visit the election, Aadhar, or education inspector’s office.
However, the large area of the educational campus has proved difficult to monitor, especially when it comes to littering or trespassing. The problem often presents itself at the campus’ second gate, which acts as an entrance to the government offices. Last week, President of the Global Parents’ Teachers’ Association, Rohit Dandawate, observed several empty alcohol bottles lying around on the college campus, right outside the education inspector’s office.
“While litter is our generic civic problem, finding such questionable items on an educational campus disturbs the sanctity of the institution. The huge campus has only two gates. In the mornings, there are security personnel, and they have also installed CCTV cameras. Then why is it that people can casually throw booze bottles and garbage, even when several government and college officials are present?” wondered Dandawate, while talking to mid-day.
As per officials, the second college gate, which is closer to government offices and staff quarters, has a security guard posted only through the mornings. Even when the gate is shut at night, its low height allows anyone to jump over the fence into the premises. “We have designed our curriculum and timetable in such a manner that our students are always in some classroom or the other, the strict discipline committee looks to that. After the last lecture, we ask the students to head back straight home, and no student has come to harm in all these years,” said the Principal, Dr Swati Wavhal.
As per officials, the college already utilises 102 CCTV cameras along with security guards, wardens, and Nirbhaya Pathak vans. Owing to troubles like littering, Ismail Yusuf College has also secured grants to make its gates taller. “Apart from the 15 academic buildings, our college campus is utilised for more than just educational activities, and the entire onus of security and civility cannot be ours alone,” she explained.
“If someone jumps over the second college gate, the first office that they come across is ours,” said West Division Education Inspector, Sanjay Javir. “The college grounds have a thick forest cover, and other government offices also face this problem. However, the offices still lie on college grounds and they (college) have full administration,” he added.
