Sathuvachari underpass gets a new coat of paint

Residents of the locality pitch in to beautify the decades old structure

V. Selvam, 46, an artist with disability, quietly paints a picture of an elephant on the wall of an underpass along the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway (NH 48) at Sathuvachari in Vellore. Passers-by recognise him, some even talk to him. They do so because not only is he a well-known artist, but also an active resident in the neighbourhood.

Along with a small group of long-time residents, Mr. Selvam and his team have been giving a fresh coat of paint to the decades old underpass, which connects Sathuvachari with the rest of the town.

“We use the underpass often to go into town. It’s not merely a structure but the locality’s lifeline. So, we pooled our resources to paint it,” said T. Prabhakaran, a long-time resident of Sathuvachari, who initiated the project.

Located between the congested RTO Road and areas like Sathuvachari, Rangapuram and Alamelumangapuram, the underpass, maintained by the NHAI, connects these localities with schools, public offices, including the Collectorate and local court, and other commercial establishments. It also helps commuters to reach bus stops on the highway.

In fact, the underpass has a policemen on duty, especially during the rush hour, due to continuous traffic. However, the facility has been poorly maintained for many years. “When I was told about the initiative, I had agreed without hesitation for the betterment of our neighbourhood,” Mr. Selvam said.

As a result, residents led by Mr. Prabhakaran have come together to beautify the underpass. A month ago, a petition requesting Collector P. Kumaravel Pandian to allow the painting work was submitted. The Collector subsequently gave his nod for the initiative with a condition that the paintings should be related to wildlife conservation.

The residents, including the artists, worked on the concept. They cleaned the walls of the underpass before painting them. A total of 1,500 square feet of wall space will be covered with nature and wildlife illustrations. The entire work is expected to be completed in a week.