COIMBATORE: Representatives of numerous welfare associations and social outfits urged Minister for Electricity, Prohibition & Excise V Senthil Balaji to construct flyovers at three vital junctions in Coimbatore city to reduce traffic congestion. They were speaking in a meeting presided over by the minister at the district collector campus on Saturday.
According to sources, the National Highways wing of the State Highways department had earlier proposed to build flyovers at Saravanampatti, Singanallur, and Saibaba Colony junctions, which are identified as ‘block spots’. In March 2021, the Union government sanctioned Rs 300 crore for its construction. However, the state government dropped the plan after Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) official T Livingstone Eliazer, CGM-Project Planning and Design wrote a letter to the state government urging not to proceed with the flyovers as the Metro Rail project corridors are proposed on these stretches.
The decision to drop the project received a huge backlash from the public in Coimbatore and the officials decided to hold a meeting with representatives of social outfits and welfare associations to get their opinions on the matter. The meeting was conducted on Saturday at the district collector campus and minister V Senthil Balaji presided over the meeting along with district collector Dr GS Sameeran, Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) Commissioner M Prathap, Mayor Kalpana Anandakumar, and others.
K Kathirmathiyon, Secretary of Coimbatore Consumer Cause and member of the Coimbatore Road Safety Panel told TNIE, “We received the nod and funds from the GOI after five years. Already there are flyovers at the Ramanathapuram and Ondipudur junctions on the Tiruchy Road. So building one in Singanallur will not affect the Metro project. Also, the construction of these three flyovers doesn’t need any LA (Land Acquisition). So without any further delay, the government must go ahead with the flyover construction works.”
Sources said that minister has assured to take the matter to the Chief Minister’s attention and shall immediately start the flyover works as they wanted to give priority to what people’s need.Vanitha Mohan of Kongu Global Forum, Nadhini Rangasamy of CII, Thirunyanam of CODISSIA, Balasubramaniam of TN Paper Merchants association, Subramanian of Podanur Railway Passengers Association, Sathish of Race Course Neighbourhood Association (RANA), Kathirmathiyon of Coimbatore Consumer Cause and Road Safety Panel and various other representatives were present in the meeting.