A new high-level bridge across the Ponnai, a tributary of the Palar, on the Chittoor-Tiruttani High Road at Melpadi village near Katpadi in Vellore was opened on Saturday.
Accompanied by Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi, Minister for Water Resources Mr. Duraimurugan, inaugurated the bridge in the village. The new bridge was built after the old narrow bridge was washed away during the November 2021 floods. Since then, residents have been taking a detour for about six km, through Arcot, to reach Katpadi and Old Town in Vellore.
“The new bridge will help us to reach the nearest towns like Katpadi and Vellore easily, especially during emergencies. Buses will also resume its services to the villages across the river,” said K. Shenbakkam, a resident.
Funded under the Permanent Floods Restoration Scheme 2021-22, the bridge, built at a cost of ₹12.94 crore, by the NABARD Wing of the State Highways Department, is 190 metre long and 9.60 metre wide — enough for two buses to use it at a time. It is supported by at least 23 pillars.
The new bridge is 2.5 times longer than the old bridge, which was only 70 metre long, and will provide easy accessibility for residents in the villages along the river to evacuate their homes during inundation. It has tiled footpaths, LED lights, inlets to discharge rainwater into the river, reflectors, sign boards, and hand railings.
The new bridge would be a lifeline for at least 15 villages, including Melpadi, Vallimalai, Vennpalai, Kottanatham, Lalapettai, Vasur, and Kondakuppam in Vellore and Ranipet districts. Earlier, they were traveling longer distances to reach key towns in these districts for emergencies.
The Minister also inspected the on-going restoration work of the damaged check dam across Ponnai river at Ponnai village near Katpadi. The check dam was badly damaged during the November 2021 floods, resulting in loss of excess rainwater during monsoon. It has affected irrigation and water consumption in surrounding villages. Restoration work for the check dam was started at a cost of ₹19.46 crore, which was funded by the World Bank in March, 2023.
Built in 1857, the Ponnai check dam has water channels on its eastern, southern, and western side, covering a distance of 51.96 km, 32 km and 18 km, respectively. Over 10 lakh households depend on these water channels for their domestic consumption. The entire restoration work of the check dam will be completed by year end, officials said.
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