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The Public Works Department (PWD) has installed a high-powered borewell in the District Munsif cum Magistrate Court at Walajah town in Ranipet on Thursday to provide an uninterrupted water supply to the complex.

The action by PWD brought relief for hundreds of litigants, who are mostly farmers and petty traders from remote villages, after advocates stayed away from court proceedings for nearly a week against the disruption of the water supply to the complex by the civic body. “A new borewell in the court premises is a welcome measure because lack of water supply affects everyone, including court staff, advocates and litigants,” said S. Veeraiyan, a litigant.

At present, the British-era District Court in Walajah has magistrate and munsif courts in two-storey buildings on the spacious premises. Among the five major courts in the district, including Ranipet, Arakkonam, Arcot and Sholinghur, Walajah court is the oldest facility established in the early 1920s.

Against this backdrop, the existing borewell was installed in 1998 when the new building for the court complex was rebuilt. Pipelines were connected to the Overhead Tank (OHT), which has a capacity of around 15,000 litres. Since then, the borewell has remained a key source to meet water needs in the court complex. 

Every day, on average, more than 200 litigants, mostly from Walajah taluk, visit the court. Around 120 advocates are working as regular practitioners. On average, over 150 cases come up in the court every day. At present, the court requires at least 5,000 litres of water to meet its everyday needs. The borewell has become dry due to the depletion of groundwater in the area. Walajah municipality has provided water to the court twice a week since 2025.

Key water pipelines that supply water to the court complex were damaged nearly a fortnight ago. Since then, the court had to depend on private tanker lorries to meet its needs. “Agitated advocates decided to stay away from court proceedings until a permanent solution is found for the water crisis. The new borewell will help us to meet water needs in the court,” said K. Elangovan, President, Bar Association (Walajah).

PWD officials said that the new borewell has been laid to a depth of 400 metres to ensure an uninterrupted water supply to the court buildings. High-powered pump sets will be installed to operate the borewell. The entire work will be completed in two days.

Another heritage building near Chennai is on the path of revival after many decades. The Public Works Department (PWD) has completed nearly 80% of the work to restore the 133-year-old building at the Victory Memorial Blind School.

Constructed in the colonial architectural style, the red-brick building is being restored by the PWD’s Building Centre and Conservation Division at a cost of ₹24.20 crore. Spread over 58,200 sq. ft., the structure, built between 1888 and 1893, has corridors running along four sides on both ground and first floors.

Officials noted that the building had suffered extensive damages to its Mangalore-tiled roof, Madras Terrace roof, and walls. The damaged portions have been restored, while the remaining sections of the roof on both floors have been strengthened to ensure durability for the coming decades. Cracks in the walls have also been stitched using lime plaster.

The heritage structure had housed a school for children with visual impairment, a vocational centre, and an Industrial Training Institute (ITI). Classes for about 120 school students and another 60 students from other centres were shifted to another building within the campus during the project, said sources in the school.

The structure was initially occupied by the British military and even housed a soldiers’ rehabilitation centre. A wooden rifle stands on the premises as a testament to its past. The building was handed over to the Madras Association of Handicapped in 1931, which started the school for students with visual impairment.

The school, which was upgraded as a high school by the Madras Province and then a higher secondary school in 1978, is now under the State Commissionerate for Welfare of the Differently Abled.

Officials of the PWD said the work involved challenges during execution as many structural defects were visible only after the old plastering was removed. “Sourcing thick wooden beams matching the original specifications was one of the challenges. With limited documentation, recreating the structure’s original features was difficult,” said an official.

Work is under way to renovate flooring and wooden joinery on the ground floor and painting works. The facade is also being enhanced while preserving the structure’s original appearance, officials said.

While the PWD aims to complete the project by year-end, sources said that the building must be put to active use to preserve heritage character. Regular occupancy and maintenance are essential for structural durability.