Prayagraj: Hundreds of books run the risk of damage at the decades-old Amar Saheed Chandra Shekhar Azad Municipal Library at MG Marg, Civil Lines, due to leaking roof and a dilapidated building.The floor, walls, bookshelves and the damaged tin shade roof are enough to illustrate the condition of the library, which cry for immediate attention. The leakage has also left the nearby building owners perplexed as they fear risk to their buildings due to water leakage, particularly in monsoon. They have even their complaints at the Prayagraj Municipal Corporation.Visitors claimed that this more than five decades-old library has been lying in a state of neglect for several years. The lone library staff claimed that due to tin roof structure and water leaks into the building during the rainy season damaging the walls as well as the books. The walls have developed cracks and lay in a dilapidated state. In monsoon puddles form on the floor due to leakage, the staff added.The staff said, “The neglect would not only lead to damage of books but may also affect the structural integrity of the building if no action is taken before the next monsoon.”The Prayag library was inaugurated by the municipal authorities in Feb 1980, and was named after the martyr Chandra Shekhar Azad in Sep 2006 while observing his birth centenary year.Pankaj Mehrotra, owner of a building adjacent to the library, complained that his building has developed cracks due to water leakage. He said, “My building shares a common boundary wall with the Prayag library (MG Road, Civil Lines) and it has also developed several cracks.” “We appealed to the municipal corporation authorities several times, but all in vain,” he said, adding that the walls of the library are in a very bad condition and may collapse any day.”“We requested the PMC authorities to get the walls repaired at the earliest or it may lead to immense damage to several buildings in the area,” he added. The library staff expressed hope that the authorities would take up repair works at the earliest.When contacted, a senior PMC official said, “A team was deputed to inspect the spot and submit its report to get the repair and other works carried out.” He, however, admitted that, “we were earlier unaware of the leaky roof. However, a plan for renovation of the library will be taken up,” he said.Locals of the area said that the more than five-decades-old library lies in a state of neglect for several years.
