A 112-year-old colonial structure in Coimbatore awaits renovation

Historians and activists advocate for renovation of 112-year-old colonial structure in Coimbatore, awaiting approval from Union Ministry.

Historians and social activists have called for efforts to renovate a 112-year-old colonial structure now in ruins in Coimbatore city.

The British started a forest college in India in 1867 and to train forest rangers and officials, started a college in Dehradun in 1878. As a next step, a college was set up in Coimbatore and Cowley Brown was the first Principal of the college. Coimbatore has a road named after him. During World War II, the building was taken over by the defence forces for treating those injured in the war.

In Independent India, the Union government took control of the forest college to train officials. In 1955, it became the Southern Forest Rangers College and it was during this period that it started training officials below the rank of Assistant Conservator of Forests. In 1987, the college was named as Central Academy of State Forest Services (CASFOS).

There is a growing demand to renovate the colonial structure, as done to the Victoria Hall in Chennai. CASFOS officials say a detailed proposal was sent to the Union Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change. The Ministry has assured that the next course of action will be initiated after inspecting the structural stability of the building.