The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Park’s maintenance

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Monday, Dec 03, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Park’s maintenance

Coimbatore City Corporation has entrusted maintenance of the city’s parks with contractors.

Despite letters to the Corporation Commissioner and the Mayor in June and again in October nothing has been done to clean up the Alagesan Road Park in Saibaba Colony in Ward 34, in front of the Corporation’s Institute of Urban Studies.

Weeds, garbage and litter abound in the park and along its boundary.

It is the tax-payers’ money which is paid to the contractor.

I wonder whether involving responsible citizens and regular users of the park might ensure its proper maintenance. Obviously privatisation is not working here!

Shashi Ghulati,

Thadagam Link Road.

Rash driving

Some of the private bus drivers in Coimbatore drive the vehicle in a rash manner. In their quest to keep to schedule and beat competition, some bus drivers do not allow passengers sufficient time to board the bus or alight from it. This causes problems to women, the aged and children.

There is also the problem of unscientifically-designed steps in private buses which are narrow and far above the road level, causing additional difficulties to the passengers.

Actions from two directions are necessary: one, authorities should crack down on rash driving and buses should be made more user-friendly; second, bus employees should be sensitive and respond humanely to the passengers.

K Parameswaran,

Sowripalayam Road.

Hi-tech Corporation

This has reference to the report ‘Corporation plans to go hi-tech in services, administration’ (November 24).

It is a welcome move as it will maintain street lights effectively. The new system, when it becomes operational in January 2008, will facilitate fool-proof monitoring of the functioning of the street lights from a centralised location in the Corporation office, while the public can spot on their computers the non-functioning lights in their respective areas.

The other cause for darkness on long stretches of roads in many areas is street lamps hidden by branches of roadside trees.

This is very pronounced in the Saibaba Mission area. Such spots should be identified and the tree branches which cause hindrance should be removed.

K.D. Viswanaathan,

Thadagam Road.

Traffic mess

At the end of 100 Feet Road buses turn right to go towards Gandhipuram busstand, often use the extreme left leaving the traffic in a dangerous mess. Motorists and two-wheelers who want to turn left or go straight are cut off by these speeding buses.

Town and Mettupalayam buses cause obstruction, especially during peak hours. In the absence of a footpath pedestrians too are at risk as a transformer and an electric pole lean on the walkway which is often used as a public toilet. Will the authorities train the bus drivers on the ‘right of way’?

B.J.Bhagat,

Venkatswamy Road.

Underground drainage

This refers to the report about overflowing drainage in Cox Street, Kattur. This is not an isolated case.

Balasundaram Layout, Ansari Street, Sengupta Street and Sarojini Street too face this problem.

In September all houses on Ansari Street were inundated with drain water and it was cleared only after repeated complaints. The drains in Balasundaram Layout overflowed many times this year. The Corporation should penalise shops and commercial establishments which indiscriminately throw the wastes in the drains.

T.V. Kalyanakrishnan,

Ramnagar.

Clean Kovai

This refers to the report on the Corporation’s efforts to clean up the city and make it garbage-free (Nov. 1). One nugget of information was that every house would be provided with two garbage bins free of charge. Tender bids, the report said, were 250 per cent in excess of the estimates and the bins were rather small.

Fresh tenders are being sought. I am not in favour of “free” distribution. A pro-rata charge, based on property tax paid, needs to be levied. I am unaware of the “estimated costs” but within a hundred rupees a sturdy 15-20 litre container should be available. Those paying a tax of Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 a year (and by implication generating so much more garbage!) could surely afford to pay for the bins.

M. Vania,

Sowripalayam.

Pickpockets

Pickpockets have been active in Coimbatore. It is time sleuths in mufti swung into action to nab the anti-social elements red-handed. S. Venkatachalam,

Kavundampalayam.

Renaming road

There was a report some time ago that an association had passed a resolution to be forwarded to the Government for renaming Avanashi Road as Va.Vu.Si Road. As there is already a park in the prime area of Coimbatore named after this freedom fighter, there is no need to rename a popular road on the national highway, especially when the name Avanashi Road will be a guide to people from other states.

R. Rajam,

Vadavalli. Readers can mail to cbereaders@thehindu.co.in with address and telephone number.

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