Singapore Airlines has launched its sixth weekly fight from Bangalore up from five weekly flights. With the addition of the sixth flight the airline will now offer 1816 seats per week from Bangalore.
Singapore Airlines is also looking at Tier II cities like Coimbatore, Vizag, Nagpur and Tirchy. Addressing mediapersons in Bangalore on Tuesday Foo Chai Woo, GM of Singapore Airlines (India) said, "We are looking at many developing cities in India with our subsidiary regional airline, Silk Air. Tier II cities are on our radar screen and at the right time we will evaluate those markets."
SilkAir currently operates daily flights to Kochi and four flights to Thiruvananthapuram. Excluding SilkAir operations, Singapore Airlines operates 48 weekly flights to eight destinations in India.
Mr Woo said, "We are waiting for the traffic rights to operate daily flight to Bangalore. And with demand picking up we are also looking at operating daily fight to Hyderabad as well." As of now Singapore Airlines operates four flights to Hyderabad.
"The airline also wants to increase its frequencies to Delhi and Chennai," added Mr Woo. Currently it operates daily fights to Delhi, Chennai and double daily flights to Mumbai. Average load factor of the airline across eight destinations in India is around 70-80 per cent. 30 per cent of the airline's passengers out of India are Singapore bound and 70 per cent are onward passengers, said Mr Woo.
Singapore Airlines is also offering a return fare of Rs 6,666 (excluding tax & surcharges) from Bangalore to Singapore, Rs 7,777 on Bagalore-Kualalumpur and Bangalore-Penang route and Rs 8,888 for travel from Bangalore to Bangkok. The offer is valid for outbound travel on Tuesday only from November 28, 2006 to January 31, 2007. Inbound travel can be on any day as per availability.
Singapore Airlines will become the first airline in the world to operate commercial flights on the Airbus A380-800, super jumbo aircraft when it comes into service. The airline has ordered 10 A380-800 and another 15 on option worth $8.6 billion. First A380-800 is expected to be delivered in October 2007.
Source: India Times
Friday, December 01, 2006
Study on foundry sector conducted
Coimbatore foundries have more export opportunities to tap with growth in the end user segment, according to a draft report of a study on Indian foundries by the ICRA Management Consulting Services.
The Coimbatore foundry cluster has about 600 units and most of them are small-scale. They produce 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes of castings a month. In the last five years, output of the Coimbatore foundries has grown at 15 to 20 per cent and it is estimated that Coimbatore contributes nearly 15 per cent of the total casting production in the country. A large number of these units make castings for the pumps, valves and auto industry. Further, a majority of these are ferrous castings (nearly 60 per cent).
According to C.R. Swaminathan, chief executive of the PSG Industrial Institute, the final draft of the study will be ready by the end of December. The study aims to assess the potential of the Indian foundry sector, review performance of key foundry clusters in the country (such as Coimbatore) and recommend interventions to enhance competitiveness.
It also aims to benchmark manufacturing cost competitiveness of Indian foundries as against those in China, Brazil, Mexico and the CIS countries. It will also prepare a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis of the Indian units. The number of units in Coimbatore and casting output has gone up during the recent years with growing market.
This exercise will help the Coimbatore foundries since it will study the units here vis-à-vis their counterparts in some foreign countries and suggest how they can improve, he adds
Source: The Hindu
The Coimbatore foundry cluster has about 600 units and most of them are small-scale. They produce 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes of castings a month. In the last five years, output of the Coimbatore foundries has grown at 15 to 20 per cent and it is estimated that Coimbatore contributes nearly 15 per cent of the total casting production in the country. A large number of these units make castings for the pumps, valves and auto industry. Further, a majority of these are ferrous castings (nearly 60 per cent).
According to C.R. Swaminathan, chief executive of the PSG Industrial Institute, the final draft of the study will be ready by the end of December. The study aims to assess the potential of the Indian foundry sector, review performance of key foundry clusters in the country (such as Coimbatore) and recommend interventions to enhance competitiveness.
It also aims to benchmark manufacturing cost competitiveness of Indian foundries as against those in China, Brazil, Mexico and the CIS countries. It will also prepare a SWOT (strengths, weakness, opportunities and threats) analysis of the Indian units. The number of units in Coimbatore and casting output has gone up during the recent years with growing market.
This exercise will help the Coimbatore foundries since it will study the units here vis-à-vis their counterparts in some foreign countries and suggest how they can improve, he adds
Source: The Hindu
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Tidco to set up SEZ for auto parts
Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation Ltd (Tidco) will soon join hands with a well-known entrepreneur to set up an auto component special economic zone (SEZ). The sector specific SEZ will come up in about 2,000 acres of land with an investment of Rs 400 crore.
According to a government official, “Auto companies in the US and Europe, to keep their prices at reasonable levels, have started outsourcing auto component manufacturing to India. They will only do the assembling at their country. An auto entrepreneur, to give leverage to this outsourcing wave in the automobile industry, has come up with the idea of setting up a project exclusively for the auto industry. The auto entrepreneur is scouting for 2,000 acres of land to house the project. Application has been filed with board of approvals, ministry of commerce for obtaining SEZ status for the project”.
The entrepreneur has approached Tidco to be the local partner. The government agency will take part in the project with minimum investment. Tidco will pick up anywhere between 2% and 11% stake in the equity of the project. The project will call for an investment of about Rs 20 lakh per acre. The debt-equity ratio of the project could be 3:1 or 2.5:1.5, which is yet to be finalised.
The idea behind Tidcopicking up stake in the huge project, they said, is basically to focus on large projects. The state agency has decided to invest in big projects instead of investing in many small projects. The agency has about 10 SEZs at various stages of implementation including Hosur, Perambalur, Reliance ADAG, Ascendas, Nanguneri and Ennore SEZ. It is also planning for two more SEZs in the state, one in Coimbatore and another in the outskirts of Chennai.
Source: The Financial Express
According to a government official, “Auto companies in the US and Europe, to keep their prices at reasonable levels, have started outsourcing auto component manufacturing to India. They will only do the assembling at their country. An auto entrepreneur, to give leverage to this outsourcing wave in the automobile industry, has come up with the idea of setting up a project exclusively for the auto industry. The auto entrepreneur is scouting for 2,000 acres of land to house the project. Application has been filed with board of approvals, ministry of commerce for obtaining SEZ status for the project”.
The entrepreneur has approached Tidco to be the local partner. The government agency will take part in the project with minimum investment. Tidco will pick up anywhere between 2% and 11% stake in the equity of the project. The project will call for an investment of about Rs 20 lakh per acre. The debt-equity ratio of the project could be 3:1 or 2.5:1.5, which is yet to be finalised.
The idea behind Tidcopicking up stake in the huge project, they said, is basically to focus on large projects. The state agency has decided to invest in big projects instead of investing in many small projects. The agency has about 10 SEZs at various stages of implementation including Hosur, Perambalur, Reliance ADAG, Ascendas, Nanguneri and Ennore SEZ. It is also planning for two more SEZs in the state, one in Coimbatore and another in the outskirts of Chennai.
Source: The Financial Express
Metro Cash & Carry to expand to 8 more cities
German retailing giant Metro Cash & Carry is currently holding discussions for acquisition of properties in over eight cities – Chennai, Ghaziabad, Delhi, Gurgaon, Pune, Coimbatore, Vijayawada and Viskhapatnam – to launch its distribution centres.
“We are now keen to expand quickly across the country,” Metro Cash & Carry India Managing Director Harsh Bahadur said, adding that 35 Indian cities with over one million population are the company’s target. Besides the cost of land, each distribution centre involves an investment of around Rs 65 crore.
The wholesale company opened its first distribution centre in Andhra Pradesh and the third in the country here on Wednesday.
Bahadur said the company is about to sign acquisition deals in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgoan and Chennai. Its Kolkata and Mumbai distribution centres, which are currently under construction, would be ready by the second quarter of the next year.
Spread over an area of 7 acre, the Rs 67 crore B2B distribution centre in Hyderabad has a selling space of 1 lakh sq ft including a 20,000 sq ft temperature-controlled space to handle perishables, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat and fish. It has a range of 18,000 products. The share of local products is 98 per cent.
The land has been allotted on a 30 year lease to the company by the Andhra Pradesh government. The centre is expected to provide direct employment to 300 people and indirect employment to over 250 people.
Stating that the Hyderabad centre is expected to gross a turnover of up to Rs 300 crore per annum, Bahadur said about 75,000 small and medium retailers, traders, hoteliers, caterers and other businesses had already been registered with the distribution outlet as customers.
“We are now keen to expand quickly across the country,” Metro Cash & Carry India Managing Director Harsh Bahadur said, adding that 35 Indian cities with over one million population are the company’s target. Besides the cost of land, each distribution centre involves an investment of around Rs 65 crore.
The wholesale company opened its first distribution centre in Andhra Pradesh and the third in the country here on Wednesday.
Bahadur said the company is about to sign acquisition deals in Delhi, Ghaziabad, Gurgoan and Chennai. Its Kolkata and Mumbai distribution centres, which are currently under construction, would be ready by the second quarter of the next year.
Spread over an area of 7 acre, the Rs 67 crore B2B distribution centre in Hyderabad has a selling space of 1 lakh sq ft including a 20,000 sq ft temperature-controlled space to handle perishables, such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, meat and fish. It has a range of 18,000 products. The share of local products is 98 per cent.
The land has been allotted on a 30 year lease to the company by the Andhra Pradesh government. The centre is expected to provide direct employment to 300 people and indirect employment to over 250 people.
Stating that the Hyderabad centre is expected to gross a turnover of up to Rs 300 crore per annum, Bahadur said about 75,000 small and medium retailers, traders, hoteliers, caterers and other businesses had already been registered with the distribution outlet as customers.
CIAL in talks with foreign airline cos for freight services
Encouraged by growing cargo and passenger traffic, Cochin International Airport (CIAL) is wooing foreign airlines to operate cargo freighters and a passenger aircraft from Europe to Kochi. CIAL is in negotiations with Luftansa and Gulf Air to bring their cargo freighters to Kochi. CIAL MD S Bharath told ET the talks are in an advance stage. The cargo traffic from the airport is projected to go up to 50,000 tonnes .
“We are planning hub and spoke method for attracting cargo. Kochi will act as a hub and collect cargo from surrounding areas like Tirupur, Coimbatore, Kannur, Alappuzha etc,” Mr Bharath said. CIAL is eyeing garment consignments from Tirupur and Kannur, light engineering goods from Coimbatore apart from spices and seafood in Kochi. Since accessibility to Kochi airport is easier than to Chennai from Tirupur and Coimbatore, Mr Bharath reckons exporters will use the cargo freighter facilities here to cut logistic costs.
Source: Economic Times
“We are planning hub and spoke method for attracting cargo. Kochi will act as a hub and collect cargo from surrounding areas like Tirupur, Coimbatore, Kannur, Alappuzha etc,” Mr Bharath said. CIAL is eyeing garment consignments from Tirupur and Kannur, light engineering goods from Coimbatore apart from spices and seafood in Kochi. Since accessibility to Kochi airport is easier than to Chennai from Tirupur and Coimbatore, Mr Bharath reckons exporters will use the cargo freighter facilities here to cut logistic costs.
Source: Economic Times
IT Manufacturers Shift Focus to Coimbatore
The Coimbatore IT market is gaining in importance with the major manufacturers increasing their focus on the channel here targeting the home and SME segments, which offer a great deal of growth opportunity, according to the channel partners who participated in the recently held DI Yatra meet.
More than 70 channel partners attended the Coimbatore Yatra meet and enthusiastically interacted with IT majors Seagate, Sahara Computers, Logitech, Pinnacle Systems and Trend Micro who showcased their latest technology products.
According to Murthy of e-logic, "With Bangalore slowly crowding up, the MNCs are now shifting their focus to Coimbatore, which also has a pleasant climate, and establishing their branches here."
Laptops and AMD processors are much in demand in Coimbatore, the dealers informed. Amiradh Alingam of K. K. Computer Associates said, "Since the last two months especially we have seen a tremendous growth in the laptop sales. The SMEs are a major driver of IT business here."
"There is an overall increase in sales of AMD processors because of their cost and performance. Currently, HP rules the roost in laptop sales. All the manufacturers are very supportive and provide pre- and post-sales support," Alingam added.
However, some of the dealers were not happy with the distributors who, they said, do not promptly respond to their calls to help them sort out replacement issues. But schemes and incentives have been reaching them in time and the manufacturers themselves keep in touch with the channel partners, the dealers said.
Currently, AMD, Lenovo, HP, HCL and Compaq are doing good business, according to the dealers.
The channel here has a representative body called Coimbatore Computer Dealers Association (CCDA). Sentil, secretary, CCDA, said, "We hold an IT exhibition in March every year and organize meetings with our members every Friday. We also plan to soon cover the entire IT industry and not restrict only to hardware, and go in for a name change to reflect the new entity."
Source: Channel Times
More than 70 channel partners attended the Coimbatore Yatra meet and enthusiastically interacted with IT majors Seagate, Sahara Computers, Logitech, Pinnacle Systems and Trend Micro who showcased their latest technology products.
According to Murthy of e-logic, "With Bangalore slowly crowding up, the MNCs are now shifting their focus to Coimbatore, which also has a pleasant climate, and establishing their branches here."
Laptops and AMD processors are much in demand in Coimbatore, the dealers informed. Amiradh Alingam of K. K. Computer Associates said, "Since the last two months especially we have seen a tremendous growth in the laptop sales. The SMEs are a major driver of IT business here."
"There is an overall increase in sales of AMD processors because of their cost and performance. Currently, HP rules the roost in laptop sales. All the manufacturers are very supportive and provide pre- and post-sales support," Alingam added.
However, some of the dealers were not happy with the distributors who, they said, do not promptly respond to their calls to help them sort out replacement issues. But schemes and incentives have been reaching them in time and the manufacturers themselves keep in touch with the channel partners, the dealers said.
Currently, AMD, Lenovo, HP, HCL and Compaq are doing good business, according to the dealers.
The channel here has a representative body called Coimbatore Computer Dealers Association (CCDA). Sentil, secretary, CCDA, said, "We hold an IT exhibition in March every year and organize meetings with our members every Friday. We also plan to soon cover the entire IT industry and not restrict only to hardware, and go in for a name change to reflect the new entity."
Source: Channel Times
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Coimbatore :More Jobs and Labour Shortage
Despite having a number of engineering colleges and technical institutes, this major industrial belt of Tamil Nadu is facing an acute labour shortage, be it in manufacturing sector, textiles or foundry.
The region, particularly in and around Coimbatore, is known for textile mills, pump and motors and castings. However, production in these sectors was hit at least 10 to 20 per cent due to non-availability of labour, particularly skilled ones, industrialists say.
According to C R Swaminathan, chief executive of a leading technological institute in the city and a foundry owner, a large number of foundry units here have doubled their capacity to cater to the needs of auto-component makers.
However, the units were managing three shifts with skeletal staff, since labourers, especially skilled ones, were not available affecting production. Though women can be utilised for general works, it would be difficult for them to lift heavy castings, Swaminathan said.
There was a requirement of 10,000 labourers as of now in the sector, he added.
The situation is no different in textile and motor and pumps sectors also, Jayakumar Ramdoss, chairman of CII, Coimbatore zone, and one of the leading pump manufactures, said.
Though Southern India Mills Association has started a cell for employment, the number of aspirants was not that encouraging, Jayakumar said.
Various industrial associations have submitted lists of requirements and type of labour to the district collector Neeraj Mittal, who has written to them based on the applications he was receiving every week, Jayakumar said.
However, more than 35 per cent of the job seekers have either crossed 50 years or not willing to do such works as they wanted "decent pay at the start itself and only white collar jobs", he said.
Some graduates prefer to sit idle than taking up jobs for Rs 3,000 or Rs 4,000 to start with or at least to gain experience, he said.
A majority of the job seekers appear to be waiting for the commissioning of the Tidel Park, coming up in the city.
As many of the fresh engineers passing out from the city colleges were rushing to Bangalore and Chennai for jobs of more than Rs 15,000 in the first month, others were also pinning hope on IT sector, which was yet to reach its peak here, Jayakumar said.
However, a recent report of a large number of resignations of staff from call centres, particularly in Bangalore, due to overstress working in the nights, has somewhat helped in applying brakes to the rush in seeking jobs in the sector, Swaminathan said.
But this should shift to other sector, which was feeling the pinch of labour shortage, he added.
Source: Chennai Online
The region, particularly in and around Coimbatore, is known for textile mills, pump and motors and castings. However, production in these sectors was hit at least 10 to 20 per cent due to non-availability of labour, particularly skilled ones, industrialists say.
According to C R Swaminathan, chief executive of a leading technological institute in the city and a foundry owner, a large number of foundry units here have doubled their capacity to cater to the needs of auto-component makers.
However, the units were managing three shifts with skeletal staff, since labourers, especially skilled ones, were not available affecting production. Though women can be utilised for general works, it would be difficult for them to lift heavy castings, Swaminathan said.
There was a requirement of 10,000 labourers as of now in the sector, he added.
The situation is no different in textile and motor and pumps sectors also, Jayakumar Ramdoss, chairman of CII, Coimbatore zone, and one of the leading pump manufactures, said.
Though Southern India Mills Association has started a cell for employment, the number of aspirants was not that encouraging, Jayakumar said.
Various industrial associations have submitted lists of requirements and type of labour to the district collector Neeraj Mittal, who has written to them based on the applications he was receiving every week, Jayakumar said.
However, more than 35 per cent of the job seekers have either crossed 50 years or not willing to do such works as they wanted "decent pay at the start itself and only white collar jobs", he said.
Some graduates prefer to sit idle than taking up jobs for Rs 3,000 or Rs 4,000 to start with or at least to gain experience, he said.
A majority of the job seekers appear to be waiting for the commissioning of the Tidel Park, coming up in the city.
As many of the fresh engineers passing out from the city colleges were rushing to Bangalore and Chennai for jobs of more than Rs 15,000 in the first month, others were also pinning hope on IT sector, which was yet to reach its peak here, Jayakumar said.
However, a recent report of a large number of resignations of staff from call centres, particularly in Bangalore, due to overstress working in the nights, has somewhat helped in applying brakes to the rush in seeking jobs in the sector, Swaminathan said.
But this should shift to other sector, which was feeling the pinch of labour shortage, he added.
Source: Chennai Online
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Pricol establishes biomass gasifier crematorium
Premier Instruments and Control Ltd., which manufactures automotive instruments, has established a crematorium that will burn bodies using energy from a biomass gasifier unit. It has been established in association with the Periyanaickenpalayam Town Panchayat under the company's Pricol Rural Development Programme (PRDP).
Commissioned
The crematorium at Periyanaickenpalayam, about 20 km north of the city, was commissioned on Thursday and dedicated to the public by Collector Neeraj Mittal and Thondamuthur MLA M. Kannappan .
The crematorium, named `Nithyananda', was part of the company's corporate-social responsibility. Pricol's Managing Director Vijay Mohan said it had been built at Rs.85 lakh. The employees had contributed a day's salary towards establishing it in memory of the company's founder N. Damotharan.
Non-profit basis
Six bodies a day could be cremated in the new crematorium. The charge for each body was Rs.750 and the firm said it was on a non-profit basis.
Executive Director of the company and Managing Trustee of Siruthuli Vanita Mohan said Periyanaickenpalayam Town Panchayat President P.R.G. Arunkumar supported the community service initiatives, especially the crematorium.
Fuel
He had helped in obtaining a vehicle to bring bodies to the crematorium. The vehicle also would be provided at a reasonable cost.
The biomass gasifier would use wood from thorny shrubs (veli kathan) as fuel. Cultivation of these on wastelands would fetch an income, especially when used for such biomass gasifier units.
Smoke from the furnaces would be let out through a 100 ft chimney. It would not cause pollution as it will be routed through a scrubber.
Commending Pricol for providing the crematorium for the community, Mr. Kannappan said it was a very significant contribution considered the difficulties faced now in maintaining burial grounds or cremation sheds.
He also appreciated the support lent by the Town Panchayat.
Former Coimbatore East MLA V.K. Lakshmanan said the crematorium was a timely contribution by the company to the people when there was a struggle to find space for burial or cremation.
Contribution
Mr. Arunkumar thanked the management and employees of Pricol for providing the facility in Periyanaickenpalayam.
Ms. Mohan thanked the Government agencies, especially the District Administration and the Town Panchayat for the support to the service projects.
"Our next project is a hospital for the community. I hope we get the same amount of support," she said and thanked the company's employees also for their support.
Programmes
The company said in a release that PRDP aimed at serving the villages located around the manufacturing facility of Pricol.
The other programmes were water management, afforestation, wastewater recycling, solid waste management, literacy and health.
The employees had also contributed a day's salary for the Kargil operations, the victims of the Gujarat earthquake and the tsunami that hit Tamil Nadu, the revival of the Noyyal river, construction of a bridge across a stream in Periyanaickenpalayam and to Siruthuli for de-silting tanks, the release said.
Source: The Hindu
Commissioned
The crematorium at Periyanaickenpalayam, about 20 km north of the city, was commissioned on Thursday and dedicated to the public by Collector Neeraj Mittal and Thondamuthur MLA M. Kannappan .
The crematorium, named `Nithyananda', was part of the company's corporate-social responsibility. Pricol's Managing Director Vijay Mohan said it had been built at Rs.85 lakh. The employees had contributed a day's salary towards establishing it in memory of the company's founder N. Damotharan.
Non-profit basis
Six bodies a day could be cremated in the new crematorium. The charge for each body was Rs.750 and the firm said it was on a non-profit basis.
Executive Director of the company and Managing Trustee of Siruthuli Vanita Mohan said Periyanaickenpalayam Town Panchayat President P.R.G. Arunkumar supported the community service initiatives, especially the crematorium.
Fuel
He had helped in obtaining a vehicle to bring bodies to the crematorium. The vehicle also would be provided at a reasonable cost.
The biomass gasifier would use wood from thorny shrubs (veli kathan) as fuel. Cultivation of these on wastelands would fetch an income, especially when used for such biomass gasifier units.
Smoke from the furnaces would be let out through a 100 ft chimney. It would not cause pollution as it will be routed through a scrubber.
Commending Pricol for providing the crematorium for the community, Mr. Kannappan said it was a very significant contribution considered the difficulties faced now in maintaining burial grounds or cremation sheds.
He also appreciated the support lent by the Town Panchayat.
Former Coimbatore East MLA V.K. Lakshmanan said the crematorium was a timely contribution by the company to the people when there was a struggle to find space for burial or cremation.
Contribution
Mr. Arunkumar thanked the management and employees of Pricol for providing the facility in Periyanaickenpalayam.
Ms. Mohan thanked the Government agencies, especially the District Administration and the Town Panchayat for the support to the service projects.
"Our next project is a hospital for the community. I hope we get the same amount of support," she said and thanked the company's employees also for their support.
Programmes
The company said in a release that PRDP aimed at serving the villages located around the manufacturing facility of Pricol.
The other programmes were water management, afforestation, wastewater recycling, solid waste management, literacy and health.
The employees had also contributed a day's salary for the Kargil operations, the victims of the Gujarat earthquake and the tsunami that hit Tamil Nadu, the revival of the Noyyal river, construction of a bridge across a stream in Periyanaickenpalayam and to Siruthuli for de-silting tanks, the release said.
Source: The Hindu
Residential colonies along Tiruchi Road in trouble
Five residential colonies along Tiruchi Road in the city may even be tempted to equate Sanganur Canal with Huang Ho - the river that is known as the `Sorrow of China'. Huang Ho has a history of killing many during floods. Overflow from Sanganur Canal or a breach in its bund every year triggers fear of loss of life or property among the residents in colonies close to it.
The water that overflowed from the canal on the night of November 1 is yet to drain from most of the roads of the Kothari Layout, B.R. Nagar, Raja Nagar, Govindasamy Nagar and Sri Andal Nagar. With the possibility of more rain, the residents fear that the worst is yet to come.
The very few portions of roads that are dry do not offer much comfort to the residents. Slush or dry silt remains to torment them.
`Elite' areas
For a stranger, these areas will give the impression of being ones that are not wanted by the rest of the city. Actually, they are considered `elite' areas after Race Course, R.S. Puram and Saibaba Colony. But, for more than two weeks, people dread using cars, motorcycles and scooters as a sheet of water has submerged the streets. Pits dug for laying a foundation and rods jutting out threaten to kill people on a site along Udayampalayam Road.
The road and the colonies are located north of Tiruchi Road and the first signs of the people's plight are visible as soon as one reaches a car dealer's service station. A flooded Udayampalayam Road welcomes one to the B.R. Nagar. An autorickshaw driver struggles to get to a dry patch of road. V. Srinivasan, who has been living in B.R. Nagar for 20 years, says that with encroachments on the canal and garbage blocking flow, water rises above the bund and enters these residential colonies and also some on the southern side of the road. "Now some small waterways for rainwater to drain are also blocked. This leads to water logging in our areas."
R. Subramanian, a resident in the same colony, says dirt water entered the drinking water sump. Slush also entered his bore well whenever such flooding occurred and the repairs cost him heavily. Water is already discharged into a farm in the colony. After reaching a saturation point during heavy rain, excess water flows out and submerges roads. Some residents say that people step out of their houses for office in lungis and shorts. They carry their trousers and shoes and wear these at the house of a friend or relative that has escaped flooding.
Difficult times
The house of Coimbatore Corporation's Works Committee Chairman R. Ramaswamy is the first on B.R. Nagar's fourth street. It stares at a sheet of water.
An aggrieved resident at Govindaswamy Nagar has placed sandbags in front of his house to prevent water from entering it. People have been going through very difficult times as the area had been flooded four times this month, he says.
Mr. Srinivasan says that Mayor `Colony' R. Venkatachalam, Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, Ward 14 councillor R. Cheralathan and Corporation officials visited these areas in the first week of this month and had promised a solution.
Solution
But, nothing has been done so far to drain the water. Meena Estate and a few other areas that had reeled under such flooding every year till a couple of years ago are now safe. A low causeway near Puliyakulam had been replaced with a high-level bridge as blocks caused by garbage led to a backflow of water from the canal to the residential areas. But, the threat to other areas from the canal persists, as the situation in B.R. Nagar and nearby layouts point out.
Source: The Hindu
The water that overflowed from the canal on the night of November 1 is yet to drain from most of the roads of the Kothari Layout, B.R. Nagar, Raja Nagar, Govindasamy Nagar and Sri Andal Nagar. With the possibility of more rain, the residents fear that the worst is yet to come.
The very few portions of roads that are dry do not offer much comfort to the residents. Slush or dry silt remains to torment them.
`Elite' areas
For a stranger, these areas will give the impression of being ones that are not wanted by the rest of the city. Actually, they are considered `elite' areas after Race Course, R.S. Puram and Saibaba Colony. But, for more than two weeks, people dread using cars, motorcycles and scooters as a sheet of water has submerged the streets. Pits dug for laying a foundation and rods jutting out threaten to kill people on a site along Udayampalayam Road.
The road and the colonies are located north of Tiruchi Road and the first signs of the people's plight are visible as soon as one reaches a car dealer's service station. A flooded Udayampalayam Road welcomes one to the B.R. Nagar. An autorickshaw driver struggles to get to a dry patch of road. V. Srinivasan, who has been living in B.R. Nagar for 20 years, says that with encroachments on the canal and garbage blocking flow, water rises above the bund and enters these residential colonies and also some on the southern side of the road. "Now some small waterways for rainwater to drain are also blocked. This leads to water logging in our areas."
R. Subramanian, a resident in the same colony, says dirt water entered the drinking water sump. Slush also entered his bore well whenever such flooding occurred and the repairs cost him heavily. Water is already discharged into a farm in the colony. After reaching a saturation point during heavy rain, excess water flows out and submerges roads. Some residents say that people step out of their houses for office in lungis and shorts. They carry their trousers and shoes and wear these at the house of a friend or relative that has escaped flooding.
Difficult times
The house of Coimbatore Corporation's Works Committee Chairman R. Ramaswamy is the first on B.R. Nagar's fourth street. It stares at a sheet of water.
An aggrieved resident at Govindaswamy Nagar has placed sandbags in front of his house to prevent water from entering it. People have been going through very difficult times as the area had been flooded four times this month, he says.
Mr. Srinivasan says that Mayor `Colony' R. Venkatachalam, Deputy Mayor N. Karthik, Ward 14 councillor R. Cheralathan and Corporation officials visited these areas in the first week of this month and had promised a solution.
Solution
But, nothing has been done so far to drain the water. Meena Estate and a few other areas that had reeled under such flooding every year till a couple of years ago are now safe. A low causeway near Puliyakulam had been replaced with a high-level bridge as blocks caused by garbage led to a backflow of water from the canal to the residential areas. But, the threat to other areas from the canal persists, as the situation in B.R. Nagar and nearby layouts point out.
Source: The Hindu
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