The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : A unique initiative to upgrade infrastructure

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 20, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

A unique initiative to upgrade infrastructure

By M. Gunasekaran

Work on construction of a wall along the bund of the Noyyal in progress.

TIRUPUR, DEC. 19 . It will be a wall of change and a bridge of hope for the residents of this town, which lacks good infrastructure to aid its growth.

The people are waiting for the completion of a `grand' wall being constructed along the banks of the Noyyal, which will support a 500 metre-long, 40-feet-wide road at the Universal Theatre junction near the municipal office.

VALAM, a corporate-public initiative to upgrade the town's infrastructure, modelled on `Siruthuli' of Coimbatore and the Bangalore Action Task Force (BATF), has taken up the work, at an estimated cost of Rs. 40 lakhs.

The half-a-km road and a bridge across the river that will connect the Kangeyam Road and Uthukuli Road, at a cost of Rs. 1 crore, will ease traffic congestion in the town

"The work on the road will be completed in a couple of months, and we will start constructing the bridge after getting approval from the Public Works Department (PWD). Money is not a problem, as the people are contributing generously," says N. Krishnaswamy, managing trustee, VALAM.

A project report has been sent to the PWD. The bridge will come up opposite the Rotary electric crematorium, with a width of 50 feet and a footpath on either side. "We will complete the work within six months from the date of receipt of permission," says `Yash' A.T. Ganesan of Indoflex, one of the trustees.

When the bridge is completed, the people from the southern parts of Tirupur, especially from the Dharapuram Road and the Kangeyam Road, can avoid congested routes through the bus stand, the municipal office and the railway junction to reach the Uthukuli Road and P.N. Road. The bridge will help to reduce the volume of traffic by 20-25 per cent in the old bus stand and municipal office areas, he said.

"The voluntary effort was conceived in Dallas, U.S., where Tirupur exporters met during a trade fair last year. Everyone is ready to donate, and the government agencies and people's representatives cooperate with us," says P.K. Arumugam of SCM Creations, a trustee.

With the Tirupur Exporters Association president, A. Sakthivel, as chairman, VALAM has a total of 16 trustees.

Restoration of Noyyal

VALAM has started cleaning the Noyyal for a stretch of five km, besides creating infrastructure at schools and cleaning the mortuary in the government hospital here. "We will adopt the positive approach of `Siruthuli' and the scientific methods of the BATF. Anyone can join this movement. We receive all- round support from the people. Even foreign buyers are also willing to take part in this initiative," says M. Ramasamy of Warsaw International, a trustee.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu