At a time when Coimbatore is on the threshold of an IT boom and its already renowned manufacturing sector is working at full steam, a crucial gap in the city's infrastructure needs is set to be filled at a whopping investment of about Rs 3,000 crore.

This will come as a boon to improve the quality of life in a city that is already an educational and health-care hub, apart from an industrial centre. This investment is only from the Government and if one takes into consideration, the investment by the private sector in construction, it would amount to an investment of a size the city had not seen in the past.

Projects

Dr P. Umanath, Coimbatore District Collector, said the city and the district are moving into higher league with major industries such as L&T and Suzlon, establishing their manufacturing facilities. The Airports Authority of India's investment in the expansion of Coimbatore airport amounting nearly Rs 400 crore would be one of AAI's ‘biggest investments in a non metro- airport development'.

This is apart from the investment the State will be making in land acquisition to take care of the air traffic growth in the next few decades.

This would help not only the growth of the IT industry but the health-care industry here, also would get a boost because of better international connectivity.

Development

Dr Umanath said the road infrastructure in the city will get a major boost with the construction of two bye passes which would provide a virtual circular road facility.

Already, work on the four-laning of NH 47 from Chengapalli to Walayar on the Tamil Nadu-Kerala border has commenced which is expected to cost about Rs 850 crore.

The NHAI is building the Eastern bye pass outside the city from Sulur (on the Coimbatore-Tiruchi road) to Mettupalayam that would cost about Rs 660 crore.

The State Government is developing the Western bye pass from Madukkarai to Mettupalayam road at a cost of Rs 284 crore. This would help in diversifying development around the city.

Though not exactly providing a circular connection, the two bye passes would enable vehicles coming from Salem, Pollachi, Tiruchi, Palakkad, Udhagamandalam and Mysore towards Coimbatore to switch roads/directions without coming into the city. He expected both the bye passes to be completed by the end of 2014. He said apart from the Rs 148-crore Gandhipuram flyover in the city for which the Chief Minister, Mr M. Karunanidhi, recently laid the foundation, the administration has planned to build 18 rail over bridges (ROBs) in the district in the place of level crossings at a cost about Rs 300 crore in all arterial roads and important link roads and work has commenced in five of them. Once they are completed in about two years, traffic flow within the city and suburbs would be very smooth. All the planned infrastructure projects would involve a total expenditure of about Rs 3,000 crore in the next five years.

The city also would get a botanical garden of global standards where the Central Prison now stands that would be re-located, providing a great source of relaxation to the people and that would serve as a much needed lung-space.

He said the proposed renovation of the contour canal of the Parambikulam Aliyar Project (PAP) would save about 3-4 tmc water and would ensure reliability of supply. This would cost about Rs 185 crore and would take about two years to complete. The city is also is a major beneficiary of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). Some of the key projects taken up in the first phase are the Pilloor phase II drinking water project, an integrated solid waste management scheme and extension of the Underground Drainage facility totally costing about Rs 600 crore. The city is still in need of better infrastructural facilities, particularly flyovers/subways in important road junctions on Avinashi Road, Tiruchi Road, Mettuapalayam Road, Pollachi/Palakkad road etc because of the exponential growth in vehicle population.

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