Rs 75 cr flyover for Erode: Environment Minister

ERODE (TN): In a bid to ease traffic congestion in the town, a flyover would be constructed at a cost of Rs 75 crore at a busy junction here, Environment Minister Thoppu N D Venkatachalam said today.

Presiding over the District Development council meeting at the Collectorate, he said as an immediate measure, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had sanctioned Rs 11 crore for formation of a traffic island at the government headquarters hospital junction.

"Of the amount, Rs eight crore could be spent for land acquisition. The land owners have already given consent for the acquisition and the amount would be credited in their account by tomorrow," he said.

As regards the flyover, the Highways Department had sent a proposal for Rs 75 crore. Getting sanction the flyover work would also commenced, he said asking officials to remove encroachments which were a cause of the traffic snarls.

District Collector Dr V.K. Shanmugam said the district would face water scarcity during summer as it had received deficit rainfall during the monsoon.

As against the normal rainfall of 717 mm, the district had received only 540 mm.

The Minister reviewed the performances of AMMA scheme, Public Distribution system, Erode Municipal Corporation, PWD and other departments.