10,000 broadband connections in BSNL Coimbatore

BSNL Coimbatore has crossed 10,000 broadband connections, as of last weekend, claimed to be a landmark in the entire Tamil Nadu telecom circle.

Setting in place broadband infrastructure in more than 60 exchange areas of the 130 exchanges in the district so far, BSNL also proposed to provide another 20,000 connections this year, covering the whole district, A S Egaya, Principal General Manager, Coimbatore Telecom, said.

Stating that a thrust has been given on broadband connectivity to rural areas, Egaya, in a press release, said that Pollachi, Anamalai, Udumalpet, Palladam, Avinashi and Mettupalayam taluk areas have been given more than 2,500 connections to improve high speed connectivity.

A special scheme has been launched for residential customers, in which they can pay a monthly amount of Rs 900, and have unlimited access at a speed of 256 Kbps, he said.

"The subscriber can be 'online always' without disconnecting and free upload and download can be done in the entire month," he said.

The corporation is geared up to deploy the infrastructure almost immediately, if the demand arose in any other pockets, Egaya added.



Courtesy : The Hindu

Water bodies in Coimbatore under threat

Coimbatore, often called the Manchester of South India, is paying a heavy price for it's rapid industrialisation. Industrial effluents are choking the water bodies in the area.

Water has even turned saline in many pockets and what is making the situation worse is that the Pollution control board is just a silent spectator.

Water resources in Coimbatore are coming under increasing threat and only a few days back residents in Poosaripalayam area, in the heart of the city, were shocked to find a foamy substance layer itself all around.

Excessive discharge of detergent mixed with sewage is believed to have triggered this off. But the pollution control board is yet to get its act together.

And it was an NGO, which finally had to step in and bring some relief to the people.

"What we did is we found it not a problematic issue. So we just opened the gutters and the water freely flowed. The panic is over," said M Ramakrishnan, Project Coordinator, Siruthuli.


Details from NDTV

Coimbatore sewage mess results in 'snowfall'

Residents in Coimbatore were in for a surprise when the air was suddenly thick with something that looked like snowflakes. Only it wasn't falling from the skies!

These white flakes were actually the foam formed from sediments of soap. It happened because residents living upstream of one tank release sewage into Coimbatore's network of 14 tanks.

Trapped remnants

Remnants of detergents got trapped in the water when water hyacinths grew over the surface and ultimately resulted in this unusual 'snowfall'.

"It comes into our homes and stays there. It's like poison and it causes respiratory problems for small children," said Lakshmi Ammal, resident.

NGOs say such complaints are exaggerated by encroachers who want the water diverted away from their homes. For now the inflow into the tank has been reduced.

"As soon as the new water arrives the foam is created because of the soap water. So if we treat the residential sewage water initially this problem may not arise," said Mylsaamy K, Manager, Siruthuli NGO.

The new DMK government has pledged Rs 168 crore for a new underground drainage system for Coimbatore, something that will ultimately prevent this unusual display of the city's sewage.


Courtesy : IBN News