The Sanganoor Canal that flows from the west of Mettupalayam Road till Singanallur Tank may soon turn into a place for health and recreation activities, according to the Coimbatore Corporation’s plan, which will be out soon.
Sources in the civic body said that the people concerned with preparing the detailed project report for developing 11.50 km of the Canal were giving finishing touches and would soon submit it to the Corporation, which would then forward the same to the State Government for approval.
The sources said that the civic body had estimated the cost of project at around ₹575 crore, including ₹300 crore towards rehabilitation and resettlement of people who had encroached upon the Canal bank, shrinking its width to around 15m.
The original width of the Canal varied from 13m to 110m.
The Corporation’s plan was to construct service roads on both the banks of the Canal and build pedestrian pathways, bicycle tracks, parks and other recreational spaces depending on the space available.
The bicycle track would be in stretches along the Canal bund, but the pedestrian pathway would be continuous throughout the 11.50 km.
The sources said that the civic body was likely to take up the work in phases depending on how fast it was able to implement the resettlement and rehabilitation plan in coordination with the Tamil Slum Clearance Board. Its estimate was that it had to demolish over 3,000 houses and a few other structures along the Canal banks. The work is in progress and its pace would increase in the coming days.
The Sanganoor Canal improvement project had been with the Corporation for at least four years and the reason it was unable to implement the project thus far was for want of funds, the sources added.