CCMC plans Rs 73-crore facelift for 4.3-km stretch of Noyyal riverfront

COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) has planned a major riverfront development project along a 4.3-km stretch of the Noyyal River, from the Aathupalam junction to the Nanjundapuram junction, at an estimated cost of `73.05 crore.

Key points

• Within the Coimbatore district, the river covers around 67.71km, including 18.56km within the corporation limits.
• A 1, 270-metre protective wall and a 660-metre stone wall are additionally proposed in the project.
• The civic body intends to fence around 11.75km of the riverbank and construct two iron bridges and two small bridges.
• The project is aimed at improving the riverbanks while creating recreational and public spaces for residents.
• The project will additionally feature cycling and walking tracks, bicycle stations, gardens and further green spaces.

In practice, the project is aimed at improving the riverbanks while creating recreational and public spaces for residents. The proposed works include landscaping, pedestrian and cycling paths, seating areas, viewing decks and improved access to the riverfront.

For context, the Noyyal River originates at Kovai Courtallam in the Western Ghats and flows for 158.35km through Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Karur and Tiruchy districts before joining the Cauvery at Noyyal village. Within the Coimbatore district, the river covers around 67.71km, including 18.56km within the corporation limits.

In practice, a senior official remarked, "As part of the proposed riverfront project, the corporation is planning to install tensile structures at the river entrance, geo-cell systems along the banks, gabion walls and stone-clad retaining structures. A 1, 270-metre protective wall and a 660-metre stone wall are additionally proposed in the project."

In practice, the project will additionally feature cycling and walking tracks, bicycle stations, gardens and further green spaces. Around 50 stone seating areas, solar-powered lighting, solar trees and safety bollards are planned along the riverfront. To improve the river's cleanliness, trash booms measuring a total of 420m will be installed at four locations. A 550-square-metre viewing deck and a 3, 717-square-metre leisure space have additionally been proposed.

In practice, the civic body intends to fence around 11.75km of the riverbank and construct two iron bridges and two small bridges. Revolving gates will additionally be installed at suitable locations. The entire 18.56-km stretch of the Noyyal within the corporation limits has already been surveyed using drones and its boundaries identified, continued the sources.

Notably, the CCMC has submitted a Detailed Project Report covering extra facilities, including parks at Azad Nagar, Podanur Road (Itteri), Vellalore Road and Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, along with interpretative signage boards, to the Directorate of Municipal Administration (DMA) in Chennai for funding and approval.

If implemented as planned, the project could transform a number of neglected stretches of the Noyyal into greener, more accessible public spaces while improving the riverfront environment for Coimbatore residents.

In short, CCMC plans Rs 73-crore facelift for 4.3-km stretch of Noyyal riverfront is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.