The spruced-up Ambattur police station on the busy Chennai–Tiruvallur High (CTH) Road is an attention grabber — not for its bright colours, but for the noticeable manner in which it juts into the road. The State Highways Department, which maintains the stretch, seems to be staying a mute spectator to this encroachment, say residents and motorists.
There are other government buildings on this section of CTH Road, including the zonal office (Zone – 7) of Chennai Corporation, the District Munsif and Judicial Magistrate courts and a government health centre, and they are well in place and not jutting into pedestrian or road space.
In contrast, the refurbished police station has encroached public space including the footpath and a space meant for cyclists. As a result, walkers and cyclists have to use the main carriageway.
“We put ourselves at risk by walking on the main road to reach the bus stop in front of the Zone – 7 office, because the makeshift compound wall of the Ambattur police station has expanded close to the main bitumen stretch,” said K. Venketesh, a resident in Ambattur.
Residents said that earlier the police station with a rusted steel fencing was located a little further from the main carriageway, providing pedestrians with some space to walk to the bus stop. However, after the facelift that followed the damage to the facility by Cyclone Vardah, the Ambattur police station has encroached upon space meant for walkers and cyclists.
On their part, police sources said that lack of space at the police station, including space for parking seized vehicles, government vehicles and vehicles of visitors, has led them to expand the station limits close to the main carriageway.
This is mainly to park all these vehicles and also to provide open space for visitors to wait before they meet police personnel at the station.
Accommodation of all three wings such as law and order, crime and traffic sections in the small rented premises has also contributed to this problem.
Coming under the Ambattur police district, which falls under West Police Zone of Greater Chennai Police Commissionerate, Ambattur is one of the 15 police stations. Others include Korattur, Ambattur Industrial Estate, Avadi, Muthapudupet, Thiruverukadu, Mangadu, Kundrathur and Poonamallee police stations.
