The Highways Department on Thursday pulled down encroachments, mostly houses and petty shops, around the junction of Banavaram Koot Road at Sholinghur. The drive is part of the ongoing widening of the stretch, maintained by the Highways Department.
Highways Department officials said more than 20 illegal structures around the key junction were being demolished to widen the seven-metre-wide stretch to 10 metres.
The occupants were served notice a fortnight ago. The encroachments were demolished to a distance of 200 metres on either side of the stretch. “The road widening will help motorists and pedestrians use the stretch safely. Storm water drains are also being built on the stretch,” B. Balaji, Assistant Executive Engineer, State Highways (Walajah), told The Hindu.
With more than 30 policemen drawn from Sholinghur, officials led the demolition drive from 9 a.m. Most of the encroachments are in Pandiyanellore village near the junction for more than two decades. These encroachments were built on the route that discharges rainwater from Sholinghur town and nearby villages into the waterbodies in the area.
An alternative site is being identified to give free land to the displaced families on compassionate grounds. According to norms, each affected family is eligible for a maximum of three cents of land, if only it has no regular income and no registered properties.
The 31-km Banavaram Koot Road is being widened to 6.4 km, under the Comprehensive Road Infrastructure Development Programme for 2022-23, covering Walajah, Sholinghur, Arakkonam and Kaveripakkam. The road level will be raised to 1.5 feet to prevent inundation.
Storm water drains will be 1.25 metres wide to ensure easy discharge of rainwater. Reflectors, sign boards and pedestrian crossings will also be provided. The project is expected to be completed in a few weeks, officials said.
