Vellore Corporation issues NOC to relay VIT Road near Katpadi station

After more than six months of damaged carriageway due to underground drainage (UGD) work, the VIT Road near Katpadi railway station in Vellore will get a new lease of life soon as the Vellore Corporation has issued No Objection Certificate (NOC) to State Highways, which maintains the stretch, to re-lay the damaged stretch.

Corporation officials said that the stretch, which is 2.6 km long and 14 metres wide, was taken up to lay underground pipelines and construction of manholes for drainage work more than six months ago. “More than 90% of drainage work on the stretch (VIT Road) has been completed. We have also issued a NOC to State Highways, which maintains the stretch, for relaying,” R. Lakshmanan, Commissioner, Vellore Corporation, told The Hindu.

Corporation officials said that the civic body has laid main sewer lines in the middle of VIT Road as part of the Underground Drainage (UGD) system work. A small portion of pipeline work at the junction near Chittoor Bus Stand is under way. The completed portion of the stretch has been temporarily levelled for the movement of vehicles by the civic body.

As per norms, Corporation has also paid road cutting charges of around ₹3 crore to State Highways to re-lay VIT Road and other few stretches maintained by Highways Department, where the drainage work has been completed.

Motorists said that VIT Road is also a key bus route for town buses that are operated by Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and private bus operators, covering remote villages in Katpadi taluk.

Commuters in surrounding farming villages were affected due to the poor condition of the stretch, as buses often broke down on the stretch. “After the drainage work, levelling of the stretch was uneven, making it risky for road users, including women and senior citizens. Ambulances and school vans struggle to use the stretch due to potholes,” said K. Abirami, a motorist.

The multi-crore drainage project, which was rolled out in 2019, especially from its Phase-II work onwards, comprises main sewer lines, pumping and lifting stations, and sewage treatment plants, covering all 60 wards that has around eight lakh residents within the civic body limits. The Corporation is expected to provide individual household connections to 81,000 connections from January onwards.