IIT Madras inaugurates its largest hostel on campus at a cost of Rs 146.75 crore

CHENNAI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has inaugurated its largest students hostel, which can accommodate as many as 1,200 students. Called ‘Mandakini,’ the building was constructed after an older hostel building was demolished.

It has been constructed at a total cost of Rs 146.75 crore and was inaugurated today, February 21, 2022. All hostels in the IIT Madras campus are named after Indian Rivers.

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“A state-of-the-art building with 10 storeys and a built-up area of 32,180 square meters, is designed for 4-star rating in GRIHA, a national rating system for green buildings, with various green building measures adopted in the design and construction stage. Solar power panels and solar hot water system, are adopted to reduce the energy consumption of the building,” IIT Madras said.

There are a total of 203 single rooms and 506 double rooms. Three guest rooms and 1 room is also allotted for the assistant warden room. In addition, there are 10 PwS rooms and 2 reading rooms.

Rainwater recharge pits have also been provided inside the building. Existing trees were retained and transplanted. Mechanical ventilation is provided for the toilets. Low energy and Recycling materials were used for the building construction.

Addressing the gathering, V Kamakoti, IIT Madras Director said, “We (the institute) take pride in providing top quality accommodation for our students within our campus.”

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Reduction in water consumption is achieved by the usage of Treated wastewater for flushing and landscaping. Both the Surface and Roof Rainwater is treated and reused for Potable water consumption.

Highlighting some of the unique aspects of this building, SA Sannasiraj, Chairman, Engineering Unit, IIT Madras, said, “The hostel was built without much delay in spite of Covid-19 pandemic in the last 2 years and it caters to all the home and relaxation needs of the students.”

“The building is designed in such a way that sufficient light enters each corridor and each room. The Interaction area with transparent light roofing at the terrace level is provided for casual relaxation of students,” it said.

In addition, the hostel has sports facilities such as Basket Ball court, Volleyball court and Cricket practice pitch with net, among others.

The structure is PwD (Persons with Disabilities)-Friendly with exclusive 10 PwD accommodation. Staircase, Ramp and lifts in the entire structure were designed to be PwD friendly. PwD rooms with attached toilets have also been provided.