The Hindu
TIRUCHI, December 14, 2015
Contest winners
Special Correspondent
Former Vice Principal of K.A.P. Viswanatham Medical College, M.A. Aleem, has won the first prize in essay competition (citizen category) for his writing on My City-My Dream topic.
The second prize went to Nalliah, former Deputy Collector, of Cantonment and third prize to P.K. Raman of Ayyappa Nagar. It was conducted by the Tiruchi Corporation as a part of its efforts to involve citizens on preparation of smart city proposal.
In the essay competition for student category, Safiyulla of E.V.R. College received the first prize. While Rohini of Little Flower School, Manaparai, got the second prize, Delphia of Bharathidasan Arts and Science College secured the third prize.
In the competition for offering suggestions, Rema of SASTRA University bagged the first prize. Aasin of Class-IX of St. Marys Higher Secondary School, Abinaya of Saranathan College won the second and third prizes respectively.
The Hindu
TIRUCHI, December 10, 2015
Updated: December 10, 2015 05:42 IST
Draft Smart City plan moots BRTS, bicycle sharing
A majority of respondents want Rockfort and Thillainagar area for the project
The Thillai Nagar-Rockfort area is likely to be taken up for retrofitting under the Smart City Plan for Tiruchi.
Area-based retrofitting (development of an existing area of 500 acres) will be one major component of the Smart City initiative, apart from pan-city development.
The area has been favoured by a majority of respondents in the online public consultation exercise. While the Thillai Nagar-Rockfort area was favoured by 55 per cent of the online respondents, about 25 per cent favoured the NSB Road/Puthur area and 15 per cent of respondents considered Woraiyur-Amma Mandapam area to be ideal.
Forty-five per cent of people who gave their suggestions off line favoured the Gandhi Market area for development and 30 per cent were in favour of Thillai Nagar-Rockfort, according to Simon Selvaraj, associate director-strategic consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL).
Speaking at a stakeholders meeting to discuss the draft Smart City proposal drawn up based on the public consultation process here on Wednesday, Mr. Selvaraj said that an area covering the Rockfort, N.S.B. Road, Thillai Nagar, Gandhi Market, Thennur, Puthur, Woraiyur, and Amma Mandapam is being considered for the retrofitting plan under which various smart solutions would be implemented in terms of transportation, tourism promotion, heritage protection, water supply, sanitation, and other civic aspects.
He said the draft plan envisages smart tourism initiatives around the Rockfort and Amma Mandapam areas, redevelopment of Gandhi Market as a well organised retail market, establishment of multi-level parking, creation of pavements, smart feeder transportation services, uninterrupted water supply, underground cabling for electricity, improved solid waste, and wastewater management and promotion of solar rooftops.
Under the pan-city development initiative, the establishment of an integrated bus stand with a skywalk to connect the Railway Junction and the Central Bus Stand had been suggested.
Introduction of a bus rapid transit system (BRTS) on a 24-km Srirangam-Chathram Bus Stand-Central Bus Stand-K.K. Nagar-Airport route has been proposed. A bicycle sharing system had been mooted.
An investment of Rs. 1,149 crore had been proposed for the development projects under the area based retrofitting plan and projects estimated at Rs. 617 crore had been planned for pan-city development.
Mr. Selvaraj pointed out the allocation under the plan was Rs. 1,000 crore and preparation of the detailed project report and selection of specific projects would be done later. The draft plan would be submitted by the Centre by December 15 and Tiruchi would vie for selection of the first 20 cities for implementation of the Smart City Plan.
M. Sekaran, president, Federation of Consumer and Service Organisations, urged the consultant to focus more on pan city development.
A representative of Namma Tiruchi suggested that Central Bus Stand area should be taken for retrofitting rather than the well developed Thillai Nagar area. A member of Thaneer, a voluntary organisation, suggested use of recycled wastewater in parks rather than letting out in rivers.
Swaminathan, Dean, Planning and Development, National Institute of Technology, called for prioritisation of the challenges for implementing appropriate solutions.
R. Manoharan, chief whip, M. Paranjothi, and S. Valarmathi, MLAs, A. Jaya, Mayor, and M. Vijayalakshmi, Corporation Commissioner, were present
TIRUCHI, December 10, 2015
Updated: December 10, 2015 05:42 IST
Smart city plan envisages extension of underground drainage network
C. Jaisankar
Consultants present final draft proposal to the councillors
Extension of the underground drainage network of the city will be a major component to be executed under the Smart City Plan for Tiruchi.
The salient features of the draft proposal, which is to be submitted to the Ministry of Urban Development within December 15, were explained to the councillors at the corporation on Wednesday.
In a presentation, Simon Selvaraj, associate director-strategic consulting, Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), said that extension of underground drainage system had been included in the retrofitting model. As per the plan, the UGD system would be extended to 16 more wards in the city. The existing system covered 98.7 km. The new plan would cover 30 km. Moreover, special emphasis would be on recycle and reuse of treated water. The efficiency of treatment plant would be enhanced to 100 per cent so as to ensure recycle and reuse of treated water.
A few councillors urged the corporation to include the areas of Vekkaliamman Temple and Vayalur Road in the tourism corridor component of the retrofitting plan. Some of them stressed the need for including their wards.
Intervening in the discussion, S. Nagesh, City Engineer, said the proposal had been finalised as per the established procedure and guidelines of the smart city initiative. There was a possibility of extending the smart city plan in the next phase. Left out areas would be included in it.
Mr. Selvaraj said there would not be big changes in the final plan except fine tuning. It would be submitted with the prescribed format to the Union Urban Development Ministry within December 15
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