Tamil Nadu

SIPCOT complex

A year ago the government had announced establishment of a new SIPCOT complex in Dharmapuri.

But so far there has been no sign of that. Even land for the complex has not been acquired. Will the government take steps to establish it? Will the people of Dharmapuri be able to see this town as an industrial town?

V.S. Sudhakar,

Dharmapuri.

Southern Railway should introduce an exclusive night express train between Coimbatore and Bangalore.

People won’t mind shelling out extra fare for a night train facility in this sector.

All omni buses and super deluxe buses running in the night in this sector are full even on ordinary days, leave alone in weekends or on holidays.

G. Chandrasekaran,

Udumalpet.

To ensure smooth flow of traffic and reduce accidents the City police have planned to introduce certain measures on Tiruchi Road.

These measures are based on the findings of a micro level traffic study that was conducted recently.

I would like to make the following points:

1. I had discussed with the Commissioner of Police and the Transport Commissioner certain measures needed to ensure smooth flow of traffic in front of the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (Government General Hospital).

I had also suggested two traffic islands, one to divert vehicles other than buses coming from the railway station to go towards Big Bazaar Street and the other in front of the hospital entrance to regulate buses coming from the railway station and also to regulate traffic coming from Ramanathapuram, including the vehicles going inside the hospital.

2. The present islands at Sungam Junction, particularly the one near the Ukkadam end, do not serve their purpose as there is no direct entry to Puliakulam or the Nirmala College side from Ukkadam after the commissioning of the road overbridge.

This requires modification. Traffic island number 1 is mainly for traffic to and from the Ramanathapuram and Ukkadam sides.

Vehicles from Ramanathapuram to the General Hospital side have to go round traffic island number 1 and not as existing now. Vehicles from the General Hospital side should go round island number 2 towards Ramanathapuram as it is now.

This arrangement will ensure a smooth flow of traffic.

3. The height of the traffic islands should not be more than two feet to ensure a good visibility of vehicles coming from other directions while negotiating turns.

4. Plan for traffic reforms in the city should envisage pedestrian pavements on either side of roads and also space for small vehicles like cycles.

5. Tiruchi Road should be made six-lane like Avanashi Road. The Corporation and the district administration cannot neglect the basic needs of the citizens.

What we need is a clean city with well-maintained roads without traffic congestion, good footpaths and a good drainage system.

N. Sivan,

Coimbatore.

Despondency and helplessness are writ large on the faces of the immigrant workers whose photo appears in The Hindu (May 7, Page 10).

Their plight is pathetic. “If there is a single person without food, let us destroy the world,” thundered poet Subramania Bharati (Thani oruvarukku vunavillaiyenil, jagathinai azhithiduvom).

But this is still a distant dream.

The feasibility of supplying such indigent workers with temporary family (ration) cards can be considered to enable them to draw rations from the public distribution system, which will help

them to a considerable extent.

S. Venkatachalam,

Coimbatore.