Encroachments, mostly houses and petty shops, were demolished on both sides of key stretches including Gudiyatham – Vellore Main Road in Pallikonda town on Chennai – Bengaluru Highway (NH 44) on Wednesday to construct widened storm water drains
Officials of Pallikonda town panchayat said that the massive exercise was taken up in coordination with the revenue officials and the local police. Most of the encroachments, around 30-40 structures, on these stretches were built more than two decades ago. The drive was done in 16,17, and 18 wards of the civic body.
The razed structures were mainly extensions of houses and commercial establishments that had been built over the existing narrow drain. These encroachments had also reduced the total width of the stretches to 20 feet, resulting in frequent accidents and traffic congestion.
‘Prevent inundation’
“New widened storm water drains will help to prevent inundation of the town during monsoon. Extended stretches will also help for smooth flow of traffic for vehicles from neighbouring villages to Bengaluru Highway,” said S. Uma Maheshwari, Executive Officer (EO), Pallikonda town panchayat.
Panchayat officials said the drive aims to restore the road’s original width of 40 feet, as the current reduced width of 20 feet has led to frequent accidents at night.
As a part of the restoration, adequate safety measures like blinkers, reflectors, and steel railings will be installed. New drains will be three feet wide and four feet deep. Concrete slabs will be laid on the new drains to prevent accidental falls. The new drains in the town will be connected to nearby lakes to discharge excess rainwater during monsoon. The entire work will be completed in three months, panchayat officials said.
Published – June 12, 2025 12:48 am IST
