COIMBATORE: Students of government higher secondary school at Irugur staged a protest on Tuesday, urging officials to render the subway that the railways department constructed more than a year ago usable by laying a service road to connect it with the approach road.With the subway that is built between Irugur town and the school where a four-line railway track runs through remaining unusable, students are forced to cross the track to reach the school daily.Local residents said work on the subway, which commenced in 2014, was completed around two years ago. “But the service road to connect the subway to the approach road has not so far been laid by the highways department.”Pointing to the risk factor involved in crossing the railway track, CPI functionary V Vijayaraghavan, who is also a resident of Irugur, said the subway would help students reach the school safely. “Presently, students have to walk a long distance to reach the school, if they are not crossing the railway track. Once the subway is ready for use, they have to walk just 200 metres.”Presently, school teachers make sure that students cross the tracks safely every morning and evening, said headmaster P Krishnasamy. He said the students, who are afraid to cross the tracks, have to walk around 1.5km to use a rail over-bridge, which doesn't have a pedestrian walkway, posing danger from speeding vehicles. “We had made several representations to officials of district administration, school education and highways departments about the pending work, but to no avail.”The school earlier had 1,200 students, but the strength has come down to 700 as parents have shifted their wards to other schools, taking the risky commute into account.Students, mobilised by the Student’ Federation of India, staged a protest in front of the school on Tuesday morning. Subsequently, national highways department officials held talks with parents and school authorities.When contacted, a national highways department official, who participated in the talks, said the work would be completed in two months. The official said the work to lay service roads to approach the subway was not done due to insufficient funds. “Now, we have called for tenders for the work.”The railways department had completed the subway work in April 2017, the official said. “We have acquired revised administrative sanction for the cost layout and would finish the work in two months.”

Stay updated with all the Coimbatore Latest News headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.