Friday, February 09, 2007

Green Drive By Sabare International

Buyers who visit the manufacturing facility of Sabare International in Karur are requested to plant a sapling to mark their visit to the factory.

This exporting unit makes bed sheets, floor coverings, napkins, mats, curtains and the like (home textiles) and supplies to over ten major retailers in the U.S. and European Union. It plans to raise this number to 25.

It moved to the 4.30 lakh sq.ft. new manufacturing facility in 2005. When foreign buyers visit the manufacturing facility, if they are willing and if time permits, they are requested to plant saplings, says S. Venkataraman, its Senior Manager (Human Resources). "It is for remembrance," he says.

The name of the buyer representative and the company is displayed near the sapling. It is also a way of honouring the guests. "When they visit us at a later date, they will be thrilled to see the tree they planted," he adds.

In an informal function, the guests plant the saplings, adding to the greenery around the unit. So far, 14 saplings have been planted on three occasions, says Mr. Venkataraman.

It is Sabare's way of honouring its buyers and etching memories of their visit, for posterity.

Corporation plans to launch major schemes

The Coimbatore Corporation plans to launch four major schemes under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) by the end of this month. Efforts are on to have the schemes launched on February 24 during the visit of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, according to sources in the civic body.

The Corporation's main office itself is witnessing a flurry of activity. Meetings throughout the day on the schemes provide a clear indication of the civic body's intention to start the project that have been pending for years. The Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme for Rs.114 crore, solid waste management for Rs.96 crore, the first phase of rehabilitation of slum dwellers in multi-storeyed tenements at Rs.58.81 crore and a new bus stand on Mettupalayam Road at Rs.6 crore are projects that are set for a take off.

The Pilloor scheme tops the list of priorities as the city finds both the Siruvani scheme and the Pilloor Phase I scheme inadequate. The Siruvani scheme's fortunes always hinge on a good South West Monsoon.

It failed from 2000 to 2003 and this had plunged the city and the suburbs dependent on the scheme into crisis. The new scheme had been planned to meet the rising demand for drinking water, taking into consideration the growth over the next 20 years.

The scheme for solid waste management aims to end complaints of poor sanitation across the city.

The Rs.96-crore project involves door-to-door collection of garbage and disposal through the waste-to-manure method or landfill. The objective is to ensure that not one bit of the more than 500 tonnes of garbage generated every day lies along roads or open sites. There is, however, no clue to how collection from each house or commercial building is to be handled. The Corporation is not very open about private participation though the mission is open to it.

There is provision even for community participation in waste disposal. This can be put into practice if there is localised composting or decentralised management either at the level of zones or wards of the Corporation. There is no open declaration as yet on whether collection will be by private parties for a fee or by the Corporation's conservancy workers. Officials of the civic body are into hectic efforts to persuade the State Government to regularise nearly 800 temporary workers, suggesting that the Corporation wants to have enough workers to collect garbage from the nearly 2.5-lakh houses, a number of commercial establishments and even petty shops.

But, a source in the Corporation claims that the regularisation is being insisted upon by a section of the councillors as they fear that the workers may not be regularised to make way for total privatisation.

The bus stand at Mettupalayam is a project that has been pending for more than five years. The stand will be used by buses for Mettupalayam and Udhagamandalam.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

TNAU, BU and AU to sign a MOU

The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Bharathiar University and Avinashilingam University for Women, would sign a Memorandum of Understanding for transfer of technology, faculty and research, G. Thiruvasagam, Vice-Chancellor of Bharathiar University, said in coimbatore on Tuesday.

Local resources


"The MoU that will be signed in a month's time will also include the Anna University (Coimbatore) to be established shortly", he added while speaking at a function at the Sri Krishna College of Engineering and Technology.

This was with the intention of tapping local resources.

"Usually MoUs are signed with universities abroad. But why should we always borrow expertise from outside when we have it in abundance here itself.

The MoU will facilitate interdisciplinary research that will bring a new outlook to education", Prof. Thiruvasagam said.

Tier-II TN Cities poised for Growth

Tier-two cities in Tamil Nadu are fast emerging as new IT destinations, with a number of projects aimed at attracting IT investment nearing completion in cities like Madurai, Coimbatore and Trichy.

Initiatives have already been taken up to set up an information technology park in Coimbatore on the lines of Chennai's Tidal Park. Similarly, the Electronics Corporation of Tamil Nadu is setting up two IT parks in Madurai and Trichy, which are expected to get the status of special economic zones.

In Trichy, about 135 acres of government land had been transferred to Elcot for the purpose of establishing IT parks. Sources in Elcot told Business Standard that the corporation had acquired 135.04 acres at Navalpattu on the outskirts of the city, where it would set up an IT park soon.

The corporation has submitted a proposal to the government to declare the park as a special economic zone for IT and IT-enabled services. Elcot plans to construct a built-up area of about one million square feet.

Navalpattu, situated on the Trichy-Pudukkottai highway, was chosen for the project considering its proximity to the Trichy International Airport. Elcot is looking at the possibility of acquiring more land near the site for future expansion.

With the completion of the ongoing expansion and modernisation of the airport and the upgradation of Trichy-Pudukkottai highway, the officials expect that the park will be able to attract huge investments.

Moreover, the rich talent pool in the city, which churns out not less than 10,000 graduates in the software and hardware sectors every year, is also expected to attract big firms.

Meanwhile, Elcot has also completed the acquisition of land in Madurai to set up another IT park. Sources said that the state government had already transferred 8.81 hectares of land in Ilandhaikulam near Pondikudi and 16.02 hectares at Kinnimangalam near the Madurai Kamaraj University, to the corporation.

Elcot sources said that a plug-and-play facility, similar to the one at the Tidal Park, would also be created in the proposed IT Park at Madurai, the construction of which will begin soon. They claimed that 50 per cent of the booking for space in the park was already over.

The Trichy City Corporation is also making all efforts to utilise the Centre's Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns as well as the Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme. Under the UIDS programme, the Centre would provide 80 per cent of the project cost as grants, while the state and city corporations would contribute 10 per cent each.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Automatic Silk Reeling unit in Gobi Taluk

Tamil Nadu is all set to get its first automatic silk reeling unit.

The Rs. 3-crore project, which will come up at Paariyur in Gobichettipalayam taluk, will give a boost to sericulture.

The State has 25,000 mulberry farmers and 23,000 acres under sericulture, but produces just 1,000 tonnes of silk a year. Nearly 55 per cent of the mulberry production is sold to other States.

Officials of the Directorate of Sericulture say the State has just 250 reeling units. They produce a thick variety silk, mostly used for making saris.

The entrepreneur for the unit, K.L. Bhoobash Kangayan, was selected a month ago, based on his educational qualification, financial strength, sericulture experience and age, says an official. The machinery will be imported from China. The plant will go on steam shortly.

Mr. Kangayan visited China to take a look at the machinery. According to him, the unit will need a tonne of cocoon (bivoltine variety) a day and produce 120 kg of silk. He plans to source cocoon through contract farming to ensure quality. Inputs and finance will also be arranged for farmers.

Elgi Equipments bags huge order from Indian Navy

Elgi Equipments (Q, N,C,F)* (EEL) has secured orders worth Rs 67 million from the Indian Navy for replacement of Russian compressors fitted on board mine counter measure vessels (MCMVs), reports Business Line.

Elgi is a Coimbatore-based integrated air compressor manufacturer. Air-cooled compressors in non-magnetic construction (70%) will replace the existing water-cooled technology of Russian origin that has complex mixed cooling system in the MCMVs.

The Indian Navy that has 12 MCMVs in its fleet found it difficult to get support for the existing Russian origin machines. The contract has been awarded to EEL on the basis of proven trial for a period of one year.

The shares of the company closed at Rs 57.30, up Rs 0.05, or 0.09% at the BSE. Total volumes of shares traded were 18,978. (Monday)

Monday, February 05, 2007

Noyyal river restoration project to start soon

Noyyal Advisory Committee's meeting on Saturday resolved to draw detailed proposals to initiate the Noyyal river restoration project by the first week of April.

The river runs through Coimbatore and Erode districts right from the foothills of Western Ghats for nearly 160 km.

The meeting attended by 13 members suggested that a Noyyal stakeholder body and a Noyyal Restoration Plan formulation committee be formed to expedite the restoration process.

It was also decided to prepare a proposal according to acceptable global norms to file the same with appropriate organisations for getting financial assistance. The entire proposal would be made ready by March 7.

Kovaipex 2007 comes to an end

The three-day philatelic exhibition `Kovaipex 2007' drew to an end on Sunday.

It saw more than 15,000 school students aspiring to take up philately visit the stalls, in addition to members of the public.

Organised by the Department of Posts, the exhibition also included seminars on topics like the art of stamp collecting, origin of philately and how to collect stamps, role of teaching staff in promotion of philately among children and various types of collectibles.

A philatelic extension counter that provided the facility for opening a philatelic deposit account for children was put up at the premises.

Those interested became account holders on paying an amount of Rs. 200.

B.K. Krishnaraj Vanavarayar, Chairman, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Coimbatore Kendra and Postmaster General of Western Region, K.V. Sundar Rajan attended the valedictory function of the event.