Science Laboratory and Library Building

The new Science Laboratory and the Library is now up to the first floor and the walls are being built. The floor was constructed by pouring literally several thousand buckets of concrete, all done manually.

As one can see from the picture, it is a large building housing three science laboratories, namely, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and a lecture room on the ground floor. The laboratories are modelled on that of a school in England and therefore are of fixed dimensions.

Because of the heavy monsoon during the summer months it is necessary to provide the ground floor rooms with a veranda all around and this has lent itself to providing a large floor space on the first floor. So we are making use of the available space for the school assembly hall and the library. The hall will have a stage for drama, other school functions and English worship service on Sunday afternoons but most of the time the hall will be used for indoor sports such as volleyball and badminton. If it is long enough we could add a basket ball court as well! Unlike many of the buildings in Manipur it will have toilet facilities on both the floors and a fire exit at the far-end of the building.
 

Building Stages

Science Laboratories and the Library

Progress on the building is behind schedule due to blockades of National Highway 39 in August and September and January and the elections diverting transport.

The picture above shows the construction team in 2006 were in the process of laying the RCC beams in readiness for the construction of the first floor.

In building terms, Kai was told, the foundation and floors are the most time consuming items.