Compound wall of Presidency college demolished
The compound wall of Presidency College is demolished on Friday, in connection with the ‘Marina Beautification Scheme', to construct same model compound wall on Kamarajar Salai (Photo: DC)
Chennai: Good old Kamarajar Salai, popularly called Beach Road, will soon sport a new look with a new granite footpath and the same compound continuing for the full stretch from the Light House upto Napier Bridge for about 2 km. Twelve government buildings on the stretch have given consent for this and will have similarly designed gates for its entrances.
The Chennai corporation demolished the compound wall of the prestigious Presidency College on Friday for the purpose. The civic body has already readied the new compound wall at the Lady Willingdon Institute of Advanced Study in Education, while work is on at the Slum Clearance Board and Public Works Department. Superintendent Engineer of Special Projects, S. Rajendran says, “The project is done under the ‘Marina Beautification Scheme’. As the compound walls of these government buildings were constructed during various time periods and before 150 years, the walls have ruptured at some places and the quality is getting poor due to the saline breeze.” Similar compound walls for these buildings on the western part of the road will give a neat look to the road, he adds.
Though the corporation has to hold three meetings to get the nod from the heritage committee of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority to demolish compound walls of the century-old government buildings, getting police permission to carry out the work is difficult, officials say. As it is a VIP convoy road used by the CM and ministers to go to the secretariat daily, the corporation is given limited time to carry out the work.
Estimated at a cost of Rs 33 crore, the project begun in January 2015, should be completed by June. “The pillar of the compound wall will not be removed, a grill compound will be fixed to it. The gate will be designed to match the grill compounds,” officials say and add that a pedestrian footpath will be laid in granite and steel railing will also be fixed, as is done on the other side of the road on the east. Three bus bays are also planned in the project and this is being discussed, they add.
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