Having garnered a number of facilities that came to Tirupati in recent months, the Renigunta-Yerpedu stretch has the potential to emerge as the ‘new’ face of Tirupati, akin to Cyberabad of Hyderabad.
Yerpedu mandal is known for vast extents of dry barren lands and shrub jungle abutting the hills, but its fate changed after Minister for Human Resources Development Smriti Irani had laid the foundation stone for Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) in March 2015. Renigunta is already famous for the railway junction on Chennai-Mumbai route and recently, the international airport.
After land acquisition, the government is also executing the job of building compound walls for IIT and IISER, before handing over their possession to the respective local managements. IIT is coming up on a sprawling 513 acres on Merlapaka village on the left side of the Yerpedu-Venkatagiri highway, out of which a 20-acre site has been earmarked on the right side for developing its Centre for Innovation and Research.
Compound wall
After floating tenders and awarding contracts, work is apace on building the compound wall running for a whopping length of 7.5 km around the proposed IIT compound. Similarly, IISER is coming up on 265 acres of land in Panguru and the compound work is on.
“We will hand over possession to both the institutes by July-August,” Sub-Collector Himanshu Shukla told The Hindu .
Much before the IIT/IISER, the road stretch drew attention in 2009 when Mannavaram bagged the NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Limited (NBPPL). However, the project failed to evoke interest, as it was badly hit by multiple factors like global recession, lesser flow of investment and State’s disinterest in providing civic amenities.
Game-changer
The Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) passes through Yerpedu mandal and is hence expected to be another game-changer. “After the IIT, IISER and VCIC start operating here, the demand for housing is expected to go up by 5,000 units in a decade,” Mr. Shukla pointed out.
The latest talk is to have a major railway station to meet the projected increase in passenger inflow, besides decongesting the existing railway station in Tirupati.
While expanding Renigunta Junction is under active consideration, proposals have also been mooted to develop the Yerpedu station, as VCIC requires direct rail connectivity to Krishnapatnam port for cargo handling.
After the IIT, IISER and VCIC start operating, the demand for housing is expected to go up by 5,000 units in a decade
Himanshu Shukla
Sub-Collector
