The 167-odd acre campus of Coimbatore Central Prison is expected to become the lung space of the city in the future with Prisons Department joining hands with Siruthuli and Forest Department to plant 10,000 saplings.
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ADGP (Prisons) C. Sylendra Babu on Thursday launched the mass drive by planting a sapling on the prison campus. He was here to conduct a regular inspection of the prison.
Prison Superintendent M. Senthilkumar said that 3,000 saplings were planted on Thursday as part of the initiative. The Prisons Department had been taking various efforts curb the use of mobile phones inside prisons across the State, Mr. Babu told journalists.
The Department had procured 12 jammers for prisons, of which two would be allotted to Coimbatore Central Prison, he said and added that 283 mobile phones were seized from prisoners during raids in 2016 and 187 this year.
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Mr. Babu inaugurated a water treatment (RO-UV-Ozonised) plant on the campus that can generate 1,000 litres of water in an hour.
While the prison has a requirement of 5,000 litres of drinking water a day, the remaining volume of water will be sold within the campus. The treated bottled water will be sold to visitors of prison for ₹7 for one litre and ₹4 for 300 ml. Prison staff or residents of prison quarters can buy 20 litre of water from the plant (without container) at ₹20.
Prison authorities said that they had already obtained FSSAI certification for the plant and waiting for ISO certification for sale outside the campus.
The Department had plans to reopen the Prisoners’ Bazar on Dr. Nanjappa Road where the water and other items made by the prisoners can be sold.
Mr. Babu also interacted with prisoners and gave away certificates to those who cleared class VIII, X and XII examinations.