The new campus of National Institute of Science Education and Research near Jatni, around 30km from Bhubaneswar, ready for operations and (below) the temporary campus at the Institute of Physics. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 22: The construction of the National Institute of Science Education and Research (Niser) campus near Jatni, around 30km from the city, is in the final stages.

Niser authorities said its administrative wing would shift from the temporary campus at the Institute of Physics here to Jatni on October 9.

As the shifting of students from the temporary campus was not possible in the middle of the academic session, students would begin to occupy the hostels at the Jatni campus after the winter break. By April-May next year, the entire institute would be shifted to the permanent campus. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to dedicate the institute to the nation after it shifts to Jatni.

“We have already got water and power supply at the Jatni campus. Though there was a plan for a dedicated pipeline by the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) to ensure water supply to the campus from the Mundali treatment plan on river Mahanadi, it may take around two years to materialise. For the time being, two service wells dug by the PHEO will take care of water supply,” Niser registrar Abhay Kumar Naik told The Telegraph.

Sources said water would be supplied to Niser, IIT Bhubaneswar and part of Jatni and Khurda township through a public-private partnership (PPP) pipe water project. However, the project is yet to be initiated. The state government, the two institutes and the private agency interested to carry out the project, will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) shortly.

“We will not encounter any water shortage as the service wells (pumping wells) are located in an area of the campus that has adequate ground water,” said Naik. The 294.8-acre campus is being developed under the supervision of the directorate of construction, services and estate management of the department of atomic energy. The department is going to spend nearly Rs 500 crore on the campus.

The Jatni campus of Niser will have an academic complex spread over 72,700sqm with 11 buildings housing the school of sciences (chemistry, physics, biology and mathematics), humanities, library, auditorium and a meditation centre located on a hill.

The residential township will have nine hostels, 10 blocks of staff quarters, 76 senior quarters and one director’s bungalow. The sports complex will have a students’ activity centre, aquatic sports complex and playgrounds near the quarters. Besides, the campus will have a community centre, bank, post office and a health centre. While work on the new campus is in progress near Jatni, the institute is now functioning from Institute of Physics, where infrastructure was developed at a cost of Rs 15 crore in 2007.