VELLORE: A day after their construction, the walls raised across border roads between Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh were removed as they denied access to ambulances and other vehicles with medical emergencies from the neighbouring state, Vellore district collector A Shanmuga Sundaram told The New Indian Express.
He added that the Chittoor SP had sent some messages on WhatsApp on how ambulances were stuck because of the walls which were meant to block vehicle movement as part of a stricter lockdown to control the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 'corona walls' had come up across the border roads near check posts at Mathandakuppam in Ponnai and Sainagunta near Gudiyatham on Sunday.
Motorists plying with permission through Ponnai were diverted through entry/exit points in Christianpet and Serkkadu while those moving through Sainagunta were advised to take the Paradrami check post.
Chittoor RDO C Renuka and Tahsildar Subramaniam were also present while the temporary walls were dismantled.
“Since vehicles carrying essential goods, including milk, could not pass through the check posts, the Vellore district administration was requested to remove the walls,” Renuka said.
Revenue department officers said that a huge quantity of milk and vegetables, including tomato and cabbage, were being transported through Ponnai and Sainagunta check posts every day from Andhra Pradesh to Koyambedu market. The blocking of the two key routes led to unnecessary hassles in operating trucks carrying essential goods.