The city's image of an emerging information technology hub and a medical tourism centre seems to be having a cascading effect, and a much-desired one at that.
The city planners are not stopping with just key infrastructure such as roads. They also plan to prevent mushrooming of slums so that the city does not go the Chennai or Mumbai way. The immediate task on hand involves relocation of the existing slums before they become too unwieldy.
The Coimbatore Corporation has chalked out a Rs. 281-crore plan to rid the city of slums. If the plan is implemented, visitors to the city may not get to see these people living in huts. Instead, there will be multi-storeyed dwellings with elevators, recreation space and shops.
"The aim is to remove the slums now located along canals and tanks and also in other areas that impede development and re-locate them," says Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran. "A clean image of the city and decent living standards for these people are the twin objectives," says Mr Muthuveeran.
A 110-acre site at Ukkadam on the southern border of the city and the erstwhile compost yard at Kavundampalayam on the north have been tentatively identified for the purpose.
Both areas will be developed into residential localities where these people can lead a healthy life, and also not feel that they have been removed from the city.
"We will interact with the slum dwellers and involve the councillors in the process as they are very vital in convincing these people on the project," says the Commissioner.
Courtesy : The Hindu
Friday, August 11, 2006
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it is a very laudable move by the kovai corporation. let us hope this comes to a successful implementation. about 40 years ago, the dmk came up with a slum clearance scheme, and built brick houses in chennai to replace the slums. unfortunately, if you visited those areas even a few months afterwards, they had the look of slums.
another point: slums usually develop close to where the jobs are. these people are too poor to afford regular housing and their earning power not high enough afford the cost of transportation. if the municipality wants to segregate the existing slummers to the southern border, we are probably going to witness the transposition of the slums and nothing more. good urban planning involves a good mix of the wealths, all living side by side. :)
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