For a healthy walk without fear, pollutionCoimbatore:The famous and the only walkers' path in the Coimbatore city at Race Course may be brightened up further and even rid of some amount of emission from buses, as efforts for better lighting and reducing bus traffic are being taken up by the Coimbatore Corporation."This is the most popular place where people come for a walk or other fitness drills every day," says Mayor R. Venkatachalam. "But, a number of people have complaints such as poor lighting and pollution," he said.
The Mayor said that on getting a few complaints, he had gone to Race Course early in the morning for a couple of days. "When asked whether things were fine, the early morning walkers pointed out that the purpose of exercise at such a time was getting defeated because of pollution," he said. "Besides, poor lighting also makes walking difficult in some areas on the path."The 2.5-km path with cement concrete tiles had been renovated more than a year ago with many private sponsors providing the tiles, improving the gardens, putting up children's play area and also models of monuments such as Eiffel Tower, the Hawa Mahal and the Bahai Faith Temple.
Quoting people who complained to him, the Mayor said that though sodium vapour lamps were provided along the entire pathway, trees blocked the light from them at many places. "We are now exploring whether 15-ft-high lamp posts can be installed so that light falls directly on the path," the Mayor said, admitting that the inadequately lit areas were unsafe."If found fit we will install 100 such lamps. Powerful lamps will be installed to improve lighting on the main road too as the existing lights blocked by trees is proving to be a risk motorists," he said.The Mayor, Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner P. Muthuveeran and officials were present when the new lamps were tested.
The other major complaint was against long distance buses taking Race Course Road to reach the terminus at Gandhipuram.The buses from Tiruchi and some southern districts reach the city early in the morning - between 4 a.m. and 5.30 a.m. "I am told that these buses speed on the road and emit substantial smoke. With the path becoming congested by the day, some early morning walkers go on to the road. They face risk from the speeding buses," he said.
In letters sent recently to the District Collector (also the Regional Transport Authority) and the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, the Mayor suggested that these buses be prevented from using Race Course Road and making a halt at K.G. Theatre. Instead, the buses could take the Bank Road (railway station) and reach Gandhipuram. "We want to improve the toilet along the path.The area where most people of the city come to for staying healthy should not be unhygienic or polluted," he said.
In letters sent recently to the District Collector (also the Regional Transport Authority) and the Managing Director of the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, the Mayor suggested that these buses be prevented from using Race Course Road and making a halt at K.G. Theatre. Instead, the buses could take the Bank Road (railway station) and reach Gandhipuram. "We want to improve the toilet along the path.The area where most people of the city come to for staying healthy should not be unhygienic or polluted," he said.