Plains, River Island and Hills: Three JNV Campuses in the North-East

Three Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Campuses in the North-East share one brief: a residential School for 560 students, with classrooms, dormitories, staff homes, dining, sports and administration. What differs is the ground they sit on. At Charai Deo the land is gently undulating and humid. At Majuli it is a river island that floods. At Noney it is a steep, forested hillside. Each Master Plan begins with that ground.

Charai Deo, Assam: shade and water on the humid plains

The Campus occupies a 23.13-acre parcel allotted by the Government, in Assam’s warm, humid climate. The plan is clearly zoned. The academic block sits at the centre, with the boys’ and girls’ dormitories on either side, and staff residences, dining areas and sports grounds beyond. Shaded footpaths and green open spaces tie the parts together, so that the daily walk between class, meals and play is a shaded one.

Heavy monsoons and high humidity shape the buildings. Roofs are sloped, overhangs are deep and Interiors are cross-ventilated. Rooms are planned for natural daylight, built with local materials and cooled passively. Rainwater is handled in the landscape: bioswales, percolation pits and stormwater channels carry runoff across the site and help it soak back into the ground.

Majuli, Assam: a School on a river island

Majuli is one of the largest inhabited river islands in the world. Its alluvial soil, high water table and seasonal flooding set the terms for the 33.295-acre Campus. More than 60 per cent of the site is kept as green cover. Buildings are oriented north-south to limit heat gain, and pitched roofs with long eaves shelter them from heavy rain and humidity.

A central academic block is joined by separate Hostels for boys and girls, staff quarters, a dining hall, a Guest House, playing fields and essential services. Movement is on foot first, along a spine of shaded walkways. Bioswales, recharge pits and open green courts gather the rain, making water a visible part of the Campus, as it is of the island.

Noney, Manipur: terraces on a steep hillside

The Noney site covers 30.86 acres of steep, forested land along the Imphal-Jiribam corridor, and it was the most demanding of the three. Slopes are steep, monsoon runoff is heavy, the ground erodes easily and the area lies in seismic Zone V. The answer was to terrace the Campus. Buildings follow the natural contours, which keeps earthwork to a minimum and helps the structures stay stable.

Pitched roofs keep driving rain off the walls, deep overhangs guard against damp and cross-ventilation keeps classrooms comfortable in the humidity. Stepped paths climb between levels. Drainage runs along the contours, retaining structures hold the terraces and planting binds the slopes. The programme matches the other Schools: School block, dormitories, staff Housing, dining hall, Guest House, utilities and sports, with each part fitted to the hill.

One brief, three places

Seen side by side, the Campuses show how much a site can change a standard programme. Charai Deo answers humid plains and monsoon rain. Majuli works with the rise and fall of a river island. Noney negotiates slope and forest. In each, pitched or sloped roofs shed the rain, deep eaves give shade, and the way water moves across the ground shapes the plan.