Rabindra Bharati students at a dance practical class. Picture by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

Teachers and students of the performing arts departments of Rabindra Bharati are facing a host of problems on the BT Road campus even as the university lines up projects to celebrate the poet’s 150th anniversary.

The dance, vocal, Rabindrasangeet, instrumental and percussion, drama and musicology departments were shifted from Jorasanko Thakurbari — where Rabindranath Tagore was born — to a building on the Emerald Bower campus in November last year.

“Noise from the practical dance classes on the ground-floor make it impossible to attend theory or practical classes on any of the other four floors. This was never the case in Jorasanko, where the rooms had high ceilings and were naturally sound-proof,” said a student.

A professor of dance said he had been asked to use minimal instrumental accompaniment for practical classes so that other classes in the building are not disturbed.

Abhijit Roy, reader and the head of the dance department, admitted that there were problems with the building but added that students were complaining partly because they did not want to shift from Jorasanko.

“If the professors had been consulted during the construction of the new building, they could have given their inputs. We have to struggle now, till we can fix the faulty acoustics,” said Roy.

He said the noise made by the fans fitted to the classroom walls — one in each corner —also posed problems for teachers and students.

Another professor who did not want to be named said there were major problems with the design of the building. “The long, curved corridors do not let in enough air into the rooms,” he said.

Vice-chancellor Karuna Sindhu Das said the university had no option but to shift the performing arts departments to the BT Road campus as Jorasanko Thakurbari — which has been declared a heritage building — urgently needed repairs.

“Once the repairs are over, portions of the building will be transformed into a museum. A women’s study centre and therapy centre have been planned in the administrative building,” said Das.

The Union tourism ministry had written to the university last year wishing to develop Jorasanko Thakurbari as a tourist spot. The university has submitted a plan for the project to the ministry, according to Das.

“We are totally focussed on completing most the projects before 2011, Tagore’s 150th birth anniversary year, and 2012, the university’s golden jubilee year,” he added.

The problems faced by the students and teachers of the performing arts departments, the vice-chancellor said, would be sorted out amicably.