In the 1950s, 14-year-old Pratap Gokuldas used to go to the lakes in the city with his friends and spend time swimming or cycling around these water bodies.
“The water was cleaner and the surroundings were not so crowded. So we had a pleasant time there,” reminiscences the 74-year-old businessman.
Encroachments, sewage, and dumping of debris and waste have all changed the face of these water bodies. So much so that not many birds come to these lakes now, people do not go to the lakes for swimming or even for a walk, and even the underground wells in the nearby areas are polluted.
In a bid to restore the lake eco system, which is unique to Coimbatore, the Smart Cities project presented by the Coimbatore Corporation looks at rejuvenating these water bodies. It plans to network the lakes and develop green tracks for people to walk, jog or cycle.
However, the area-based proposal may not work for the entire network as each lake has a different eco system that it supports. Nevertheless, setting up of sewage treatment plants and letting out only treated water into the lakes should be a priority, says R. Raveendran, secretary of Residents’ Awareness Association of Coimbatore.
If the eco system is kept intact, the initiative to have walking and cycling tracks could actually bring lakes into greater focus.
Bunds will be protected and quality monitoring systems to keep the lakes clean will be put in place. Companies can take it up as part of Corporate Social Responsibility activity too, says Vanita Mohan, managing trustee of Siruthuli.
Regarding quality control system, let us take the example of the Mysore Zoo, says K. Kalidasan, president of Osai. An advance is collected from visitors carrying plastic items into the zoo and is returned to them at the exit only if they still have those items. Such steps will go a long way in ensuring top class maintenance, he says.
A clean and green space will not only make result in conservation of the environment, it will also be ideal for walking, jogging and cycling that promote health and fitness.
And, such a green corridor also becomes a model for having roads that have adequate space for pedestrians and cyclists.
In fact, every road should have areas demarcated for walkers and cyclists. “The Gandhi Mandapam Road in Chennai is a clear example. On either side of the road, a four-ft-wide space marked by a simple line that separates traffic from walkers and cyclists,” says Krishna Kumar, member of Tamil Nadu Cycling Club.
When roads are designed to be pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly, the city takes a few steps forward in sustainable transportation, says Sujit Patwarghan, founder and trustee of Parisar, a Pune-based organisation focusing on environment and urban development.
“The water was cleaner and the surroundings were not so crowded. So we had a pleasant time there,” reminiscences the 74-year-old businessman.
Encroachments, sewage, and dumping of debris and waste have all changed the face of these water bodies. So much so that not many birds come to these lakes now, people do not go to the lakes for swimming or even for a walk, and even the underground wells in the nearby areas are polluted.
In a bid to restore the lake eco system, which is unique to Coimbatore, the Smart Cities project presented by the Coimbatore Corporation looks at rejuvenating these water bodies. It plans to network the lakes and develop green tracks for people to walk, jog or cycle.
However, the area-based proposal may not work for the entire network as each lake has a different eco system that it supports. Nevertheless, setting up of sewage treatment plants and letting out only treated water into the lakes should be a priority, says R. Raveendran, secretary of Residents’ Awareness Association of Coimbatore.
If the eco system is kept intact, the initiative to have walking and cycling tracks could actually bring lakes into greater focus.
Bunds will be protected and quality monitoring systems to keep the lakes clean will be put in place. Companies can take it up as part of Corporate Social Responsibility activity too, says Vanita Mohan, managing trustee of Siruthuli.
Regarding quality control system, let us take the example of the Mysore Zoo, says K. Kalidasan, president of Osai. An advance is collected from visitors carrying plastic items into the zoo and is returned to them at the exit only if they still have those items. Such steps will go a long way in ensuring top class maintenance, he says.
A clean and green space will not only make result in conservation of the environment, it will also be ideal for walking, jogging and cycling that promote health and fitness.
And, such a green corridor also becomes a model for having roads that have adequate space for pedestrians and cyclists.
In fact, every road should have areas demarcated for walkers and cyclists. “The Gandhi Mandapam Road in Chennai is a clear example. On either side of the road, a four-ft-wide space marked by a simple line that separates traffic from walkers and cyclists,” says Krishna Kumar, member of Tamil Nadu Cycling Club.
When roads are designed to be pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly, the city takes a few steps forward in sustainable transportation, says Sujit Patwarghan, founder and trustee of Parisar, a Pune-based organisation focusing on environment and urban development.