Velachery police station gets a temporary address

The arrangement has been made to facilitate renovation of its permanent facility

Every monsoon, a flooded J7 police station would not come as a surprise to those frequenting this section of Velachery Main Road. Water stagnating on the road would flood the premises of the station with two-feet-deep water, as the latter was low-lying.

“In 2015, we helped arranged for motors to be brought to help the police personnel pump out the water,” says M. Balakrishnan, a resident of Tansi Nagar, adding that the station experienced considerable flooding in 2016 too, despite a poor monsoon.

This year, visitors to the station will hopefully be spared the experience of wading through stagnant water as it has been temporarily shifted to a facility in a residential area on Jaganathapuram Second Main Road. The station is expected to function from this facility for at least a year to enable demolition and reconstruction of the old station.

Although the new station looks crammed and has asbestos-roofing, the police personnel are happy to be here. “We have been searching for a place for quite sometime time,” said a staff.

On Monday, the staff were seen arranging the records and the various rooms including the one for the writer and the inspector (law and order).

“We have many more things to bring from the old station,” said a constable, adding that this space would not be sufficient.

Every inch of the verandah has been occupied.

A table along with a few chairs have been placed for visitors coming to interact with the police.

The staircase leading to the second floor would house the crime section.

According to K. Vinayagam, inspector, functioning from the old premises was difficult as the place used to get inundated every monsoon and the roofs were damaged.

“The building will be demolished to give way for a three-storey block with parking facilities among others,” said the inspector.

The jurisdiction of the station extends up to the IIT gate in the north, Velachery station in the south, New Colony in the east and AGS Colony in the west. While the law and order section has a strength of 48 personnel, the crime section has 10.

Lost landmark

The old station, which was opened in 1984, was a landmark for residents of Velachery Main Road. “Location of the station gave us a sense of security,” said G. Regan, a resident of Rite Choice Ganesa Apartments. “We are going to miss it.”

Residents welfare association members/ heads of institutions who wish to become members of the WhatsApp group run by the police can contact the inspector at 9841381974, 23452605