Panaji: Repairs to the 900-seater Dinanath Mangeshkar auditorium at Kala Academy will begin on Aug 1, while the rest of the cultural complex remains operational. The Black Box theatre, open-air auditorium, Indian and Western music classrooms, and the administrative section will continue to function, ensuring programmes and training are not disrupted.Kala Academy member secretary Shankar Gaonkar said only the main auditorium will be closed.The auditorium has faced repeated complaints of water leakage since reopening after a major renovation, including seepage during live performances.An expert team from IIT Madras will inspect the auditorium, determine the causes of the defects, and submit its findings at the earliest. Repairs will begin immediately after the report, with the stated aim of fixing the persistent leakage.Gaonkar said govt will fund the repairs using Rs 10 crore withheld from the previous contractor over deficiencies in the earlier renovation. Kala Academy’s renovation lasted more than three years and cost over Rs 80 crore. After the complex reopened in Nov 2023, complaints prompted govt to form a task force, during which IIT Madras had earlier flagged major flaws in the renovation.
