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Time of India
5 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Encroachments defeat purpose of non-motorised transport corridors in Coimbatore city
Coimbatore: The four non-motorised transport (NMT) corridors that the city corporation set up with the help of a German firm at a cost of Rs9.05 crore in 2023 to ensure a hassle-free travelling experience for the pedestrians and cyclists today cut a sorry figure with damaged pavement blocks and encroachments in many areas. They no longer serve their purposes and the pedestrians are left with no other option but to use the busy main roads crowded with vehicles. Announced in 2019 under the Smart City Projects Mission, work on the non-motorised transport corridors on Big Bazaar Street, Raja Street, Cross Cut Road and at Gandhipuram was completed a year after it commenced in 2022. The main highlight was dedicated footpaths for the pedestrians. The condition of non-motorised transport corridors is pathetic today - pavement blocks have been damaged, street vendors have encroached upon the space and converted the same into a sales platform, and the city corporation has turned it into a storage place for pipelines. They are no longer pedestrian friendly. It is to be noted that about one lakh pedestrians use Cross Cut Road alone daily, as per the previous corporation survey reports. Ameen, who runs a garment store on Cross Cut Road, said street vendors had occupied the footpath over the years. "Initially, when the plan was executed, it was really useful for pedestrians. Maintenance stopped after a few months. Encroachments mushroomed in the absence of monitoring by the corporation. Now, pedestrians are forced to walk on the roads filled with vehicles. Their safety is compromised today." TOI visited the NMT corridors on Tuesday and found that there were either damaged paver blocks or encroachments at every 100 metres. Some people had parked their two-wheelers on the footpath as well. M Sarala, who was waiting with her family to board a bus at Town Hall, said, "There's hardly any space for us to stand and wait for buses. We are forced to walk on roads, where vehicles refuse to slow down." K Kathirmathiyon, secretary, Coimbatore Consumer Cause, said the corporation had failed in the execution of the NTM corridors. "It is not wide enough to accommodate dedicated bicycle corridors or create seating facilities." He also called on the city corporation to take steps to keep the NTM corridors free of encroachments. A corporation officer said they were planning to take out a drive to evict encroachments last month. "That didn't happen. We are planning to remove all encroachments on the NTM corridors on Cross Cut Road and Big Bazaar Street, which are commercial areas, in the coming weeks. We will decide on the date in consultation with police." Corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran said while they had carried out two eviction drives in the past, street vendors were quick to encroach upon the space again. "Measures will be taken to replace the damaged paver blocks with new ones. After the planned eviction drive, we will try our level best to keep the NTM corridors free of encroachments."
New Indian Express
12-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Valankulam boat house shuts down amid poor infrastructure, high costs
COIMBATORE: The Valankulam Boat House, once touted as a go-to recreational spot in Coimbatore city, has shut down due to poor patronage. The Tamil Nadu Tourism Development Corporation (TTDC) has sent a letter to the city civic body in this regard. A steady decline in visitors that sounded the death knell for the water sports facility along the banks of Valankulam Lake has been attributed to a range of unresolved issues, including poor infrastructure, high ride charges, and lack of basic amenities. However, sources have confirmed that it is now non-functional owing to operational losses and maintenance failures. The boat house was developed by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) under the Union Government's Smart City Projects Mission. The boat house had commenced operations three years ago. But visitors frequently raised concerns about the lack of parking spaces and the absence of proper toilet facilities near the site. Additionally, the pricing of boat rides was widely considered unaffordable, Rs 300 for a 30-minute pedal boat ride, Rs 350 for a rowboat, and Rs 1,000 for motorboat rides. These steep rates, especially when coupled with inadequate infrastructure, discouraged regular footfall, resulting in poor revenue generation. Sources revealed that, despite the potential, CCMC had failed to form a proper monitoring mechanism for the upkeep and profitability of Smart City projects. A former Smart City Projects official admitted that the civic body had "miserably failed" to sustain the project or explore avenues for generating consistent revenue. Adding to the woes, untreated sewage from nearby areas began flowing into Valankulam, resulting in the spread of invasive aquatic plants like water hyacinth, which made boating nearly impossible. Unable to cover even the basic operational costs, such as staff salaries, the TTDC has officially ordered the closure of the boathouse. A letter has also been sent to the CCMC Commissioner requesting the site be returned to the Corporation's control.
