Anti-drug messages painted on pillars of rail overbridge
As part of a campaign against drugs, phrases like āSay No To Drugsā and āStop Drugsā are being painted on the recently opened rail overbridge
As part of a campaign against drugs, phrases like āSay No To Drugsā and āStop Drugsā are being painted on the recently opened rail overbridge (ROB) in Navalpur village by Public Works Department. PWD officials said that the drive, which was initiated by District Collector Priya Ravichandran, was part of a āDrug-Free Tamil Naduā campaign that was launched by Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay in Chennai on Tuesday. āAmong four to five ROBs in the district, the bridge is the longest facility located in congested Ranipet town.
As many schools and other public facilities are located on both sides of the bridge, the idea to use its pillars for the campaign was mooted,ā a PWD official told The Hindu. Jointly built by the Highways (NH) wing of the State Highways Department and the Southern Railway, the ā¹26.65-crore bridge was opened in September 2025. It brought relief to residents as prior to its construction, they had to take a de-tour of eight km to reach Ranipet town from surrounding villages. Highways officials said that the two-lane bridge is 921-metre-long and 12-metre-wide with at least 15 pillars.
Each pillar, on an average, has a height of 10 ft. The awareness campaign against drugs in the pillars is part of the beautification of open space below the bridge and a few parks in the town. Beautification work, that costs around ā¹4.5 crore, has been supported by Tata Group under CSR initiative. āSuch innovative awareness campaigns should be done in other public places where crowds gather in large numbers. The idea of converting pillars for such awareness helps prevent its misuse for wall posters,ā said R.
Sugan, a motorist. As part of beautification, identified open space below the bridge will be converted into a small childrenās play area, seating arrangements, and a walking track. The entire space will be fenced, and visitors will be allowed at specific timings. The entire painting work of the pillars will be done in the coming weeks. Once completed, the space below the bridge will be maintained by the Ranipet municipality.
The BriefWire