TIRUNELVELI
Corporation Commissioner G. Kannan and Chief Executive Officer of Tirunelveli Smart City Limited V. Narayanan Nair jointly reviewed the progress of the ongoing construction of the Tirunelveli Junction bus stand and the multi-level parking facility coming up in the Vaeinthaankulam new bus stand on Wednesday.
When the 64-year-old Tirunelveli Junction bus stand has become cramped owing to the increase in the operation of buses and started stinking without a proper drainage facility, the Corporation decided to reconstruct it under the Centre’s Smart City programme.
ADVERTISEMENT
The existing bus stand becomes waterlogged during rain, causing inconvenience to bus passengers and the crew. Encroachments all along the drainage channels have resulted in clogging and during rain, the water cannot drain into the nearby Tamirabharani river. After dusk, omni buses bound for Chennai, Bengaluru and other cities occupy the eastern side of the already cramped bus stand.
As the proposal for the reconstruction of the bus stand got approved, the bus terminus, occupying an area of 4.25 acres with 27 bus bays and 148 shop, was demolished to be built at a cost of ₹ 78.99 crore with modern facilities, including a shopping mall and basement parking facility.
“The new terminus would meet all requirements of passengers. As per the plan, a three-storey shopping mall will come up around the bus stand. It will have 144 shops to ensure minimum net revenue of ₹ 1.87 crore to ₹ 2 crore per annum against the present revenue of ₹ 1.64 crore. The basement parking facility can accommodate 106 cars and 1,629 two-wheelers,” said Mr. Kannan.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Work on the basement column has been completed and the basement ceiling concrete will be completed within a couple of weeks,” Dr. Nair said.
A multi-level car parking is coming up at Vaeinthaankulam new bus stand premises at a cost of ₹ 11.75 crore. “The basement concrete is going on as per the schedule,” Mr. Kannan said.
Mr. Kannan and Dr. Nair also inspected the ongoing work on the construction of the trade centre at Exhibition Grounds opposite the Corporation’s administrative office.