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Vellore School Campus Plunged into Disarray After Highway Expansion Demolition

VELLORE, November 7, 2025 – Students at the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in Thiruvalam, near Katpadi, are facing hazardous conditions after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) demolished eight classrooms as part of the Bengaluru-Chennai Highway widening project. The demolition, which took place over a month ago, has left the school campus slushy and uneven, raising serious safety concerns as the Northeast monsoon season intensifies.

According to Headmistress S. Roja, the school, which serves approximately 300 students primarily from surrounding farming villages, is struggling to cope with the aftermath. The demolition of the old classrooms, deemed unfit by the PWD, has been further compounded by damage to existing water pipelines and a temporary disruption of power supply, although repairs have been made.

The NHAI project, which aims to convert the existing expressway into a four-lane route approximately 90 meters wide, involves the acquisition of 426.19 hectares of land across Vellore, Ranipet, and Kancheepuram districts. This acquisition has affected houses, school buildings, farm wells, and coconut groves along the stretch.

While NHAI has reportedly agreed to compensate the School Education Department ₹4 crore for the demolished structures, officials say the funds have not yet been deposited into the department’s account. This delay is preventing the PWD from initiating necessary repair works on the campus. The School Education Department has informed Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi and Chief Educational Officer (CEO) S. Premalatha, Vellore, about the school’s current state.

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