The old-city areas around the famous Rockfort in Tiruchi are set to get a infrastructure leg-up as the Corporation has proposed to go in for area-based development under the Smart City project. City residents expressed joy and relief over the selection of the city for the project in the third round.
Apart from being the most densely populated part of the city and its main commercial hub, the locality also houses the famous tourism landmarks such as the Rockfort, Our Lady of Lourdes Church and the Nathervali Dargah, attracting a substantial floating population.
“The area development plan will cover about seven square kilometres around the Rockfort, which is the city’s main heritage and tourism hub. The Smart City project will give a big push for the city’s civic infrastructure,” N. Ravichandran, Special Officer-cum-Commissioner, Tiruchi Corporation, told The Hindu .
The area has been favoured by a majority of respondents in the online poll and public consultation exercise, he said.
The Corporation proposals envisages retrofitting the area covering the Rockfort, N.S.B. Road, Thillai Nagar, Gandhi Market, Thennur, Puthur, Woraiyur, and Amma Mandapam with various smart solutions in terms of transportation, tourism promotion, heritage protection, water supply, sanitation, and other civic amenities.
The plan envisages smart tourism initiatives around the Rockfort and along the Cauvery river, redevelopment of Gandhi Market as a well-organised retail market, establishment of multi-level parking, smart transportation services, underground cabling for electricity, improved solid waste and waste water management and tapping of solar energy for public utility.
Creation of infrastructure for non-motorised transport by way of walkways and bicycle tracks, establishment of multi-level parking lots, a heritage centre, modernisation of the Chathram satellite bus stand and creating avenues of entertainment along the Cauvery banks are among the key proposals.
The area-based development form the chunk of the plan envisaging a total investment of ₹1,137.55 crore. Pan city solutions envisaging improvements to e-governance initiatives, security, education, transport and supervisory and control systems on the anvil at an investment of ₹133.49 crore.
City residents welcomed the Centre’s announcement on the selection of Tiruchi with relief and joy on Friday. “At last, the city has been chosen for the Smart City project of the Central Government. We congratulate the Special Officer for taking special efforts. We request him to convene a meeting of stakeholders to discuss the final plan for the smart city project. This becomes all the more necessary now in the absence of elected Council members,” said S.Pushpavanam, Secretary, Consumer Protection Council, Tamil Nadu.
Mr.Ravichandran said that the proposals could be fine tuned and changes done based on people’s requirements.
A special purpose vehicle would be formed to execute the project, he added.
Welcoming the announcement, M.Sekaran, president, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations, expressed relief that the city has finally got its due after being neglected for major development projects in recent years.
“The city should make full use of the project,” he said.
“We welcome the inclusion of the city and move to modernise the Chathram bus stand. At the same time, Corporation officials should explore the feasibility of getting a new integrated bus stand sanctioned for the city as part of the modernisation of transportation system under the project,” said H. Ghouse Baig, a civic and consumer activist.
