After residents protest, traffic diverted to speed up drain work in Pallikonda

Collector P. Kumaraval Pandian inspects spot and instructs officials to divert heavy vehicles

Heavy vehicles, including goods carriers and trailers, were diverted from using the narrow Gudiyatham High Road in Pallikonda near Vellore, due to the stormwater drain work being taken up on the stretch by the State Highways Department.

Officials said that the traffic diversion, which came into effect on Thursday, will be in force till the completion of the work.

The action comes after residents, traders, students and elected representatives blocked the stretch a few days ago, demanding the immediate halt of the drain work. Residents said that the slow progress of the stormwater drain work has further reduced the carriageway that witnesses continuous flow of heavy vehicles round-the-clock.

Earlier, pedestrians used to walk on the concrete slabs on the drain. With the ongoing work, they were forced to negotiate the available road space with motorists on the narrow road. This resulted in frequent accidents, especially during rush hours in the evening. “Schoolchildren and office-goers get held up in the traffic chaos due to the drain work. Women were unable to reach nearby shops safely due to lack of walking space on the stretch,” said S. Devika, a resident. Subsequently, Collector P. Kumaraval Pandian inspected the spot and reached out to the traders and residents. As a stop-gap measure, he directed the officials to divert the heavy vehicles from using the stretch till the completion of the drain work.   Accordingly, goods lorries, tippers and trailers from Andhra Pradesh passing through Sainagunda and Paradarami villages have to take the Umarabad - Ambur route to go to Tirupattur, Krishnagiri, Dharamapuri and Salem and vice-versa. Vehicles from Tiruvannamalai and southern districts should use the Vellore route to reach A.P. Other vehicles like government buses, vans, cars and two-wheelers can use the stretch as usual.