An integrated bus terminus, costing Rs.125 crore, a multi-level parking facility at three places, costing Rs. 80 crore, and a separate terminal for trucks outside the city are the highlights of a new infrastructure package announced for Coimbatore by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Sunday.
FaceliftThe facelift comes in the backdrop of Coimbatore, known as Manchester of South India, growing as the second largest commercial hub, after Chennai, she said in a statement.
To ensure healthcare delivery for the urban poor, the 12 urban health centres would get new buildings and 20 would be upgraded.
A new urban primary health centre would be established, she said.
The integrated bus terminus, meant to decongest the city, would come up on 50 acres at Vellalore. A project report would be prepared for establishing a parking lot for trucks.
A detailed project report was being prepared for establishing multi-level parking lots at Gandhipuram, R.S. Puram-DB Road and Town Hall at a cost of Rs. 80 crore.
The embankments of the Sanganur canal would be strengthened and a semi-ring road would be built along the banks for light motor vehicles, linking the Mettuppalayam Road, the Sathyamangalam Road, the Avanashi Road and the Tiruchi Road.
A project report would be prepared for providing those living on the banks with alternative accommodation.
To give houses to the homeless, 2,912 houses would be constructed by the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board at a cost of Rs. 443.55 crore on 20 acres belonging to the Municipal Corporation.
To meet the increasing drinking water needs of the city and its peripheral areas, a Rs.100-crore tunnel would be constructed at Periyakombai and in the Kattan Hills for laying the pipelines for drinking water supply scheme.
The underground drainage scheme would be extended to the areas recently added to the Municipal Corporation, and the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board started preparing the estimates, Ms. Jayalalithaa said.
The added areas of the civic body would be provided with 1,745 km of storm water drains at a cost of Rs. 1,550 crore.
Another Rs. 60 crore would be spent on relaying the roads damaged when the underground drainage was established.
A facility to recycle waste to make utility items was also on the cards. This project would cost Rs. 12.80 crore.
Ms. Jayalalithaa listed the 1,490 infrastructure works taken up at a cost of Rs 309.21 crore during the last three years in Coimbatore and said that a majority of the works were completed and the rest of the works were in progress. They included construction of a building with all modern facilities at a cost Rs 57.19 crore for Coimbatore Medical College Hospital under progress.
Other works in progress include construction of a flyover at Gandhipuram, bridge linking Ukkadam with Sundakkamuthur and a Rs 451.66 crore drinking water supply schemes.
