Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Salem gets permanent helipad

By A.V. Ragunathan

SALEM July 18. Thanks to the July 22 visit of the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, Salem city is getting a permanent helipad. Work on the helipad, coming up on a football ground of the Government Arts College (Men), is apace.

About 60 workers, scores of tractors and trucks, and a couple of water tankers have been deployed to complete the work, under the watchful eyes of PWD engineers and police.

An approach road to the college entrance is also being laid, and the total cost of the project is estimated to be Rs. 1.50 lakhs. Engineers say that even though soil on the college ground is firm enough, it will get wet during rain.

Therefore, it was decided to construct a fullfledged helipad conforming to specifications. Later, the entire surface would be plastered and the letter ``H'' painted on the middle of the helipad, and ``L'' on all four corners to provide landing signs. A ``flag sack'' (in a tubular form) would be set up on the college buildings to indicate wind direction.

Football ground gone

It is felt that the college is ideally located for the permanent helipad. But the institution has lost its football ground as well as cricket pitch.

A saving grace is that the Minister for Food and Cooperatives, P. Dhanapal, an alumnus, directed the officials to minimise damage to the ground while laying the approach road. Accordingly, it has been redesigned to pass near the chemical laboratory.

Moreover, a garbage heap and bushes have been cleared. So far, rubbish remained uncleared, becoming a breeding ground for reptiles and causing students scare at night.

Another problem. The compound behind the hostel remains porous, and anti-social elements are said to be gaining entry into the college to commit theft in laboratories.

Vehicle theft and causing nuisance, besides dirtying of water in the well to make it unfit for consumption, have been going on with impunity.

When the management approached the authorities for financial assistance to construct a compound wall, the request was turned down on the plea that ``a compound wall for a men's college (it is, in fact, a co-education college) was a luxury. But now the entire campus has been sterilised and hostellers have been evacuated.

As union elections are going on, classes stand cancelled and the regular sessions will start only on Tuesday.

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