COIMBATORE REGIONAL PLAN – 2038 VOLUME 2 ERODE SUB REGION DRAFT REPORT Acknowledgements School of Planning and Architecture, Bhopal an Institution of National Importance under the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India heartily acknowledges Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH (German Technical Cooperation) team headed by Mr. Georg Jahnsen, Mr. Felix Knopf, Mr. Abhishek Agarwal, Mrs. Tanaya Saha, Mr. Shriman Narayan, Mr. Kishore for giving us an opportunity to work on the Coimbatore regional plan preparation in Tamil Nadu. We would like to thank the Government of Tamil Nadu, its Secretary Department of Housing and Urban Development and the State Planning Commission for extending their full support in facilitating the whole data collection and discussion process. A special thanks to the all four district collectors: Dr. S. Prabhakar I.A.S. – Erode, Thiru T.N. Hariharan I.A.S. – Coimbatore, Thiru Dr. K.S. Palanisamy I.A.S. – Tiruppur, Tmt.J. Innocent Divya I.A.S. – The nilgiris, for their support and immense effort in coordinating with the concerned line departments for providing data, during their tenure. The contribution of Directorate of Town and Country Planning of Chennai, in this endeavor, in the form of invaluable support and inspiration during the field visit, was commendable. Our sincere thanks all the active Organizations (Profit and Non Profit) like: OlirumErodu Foundation- Erode, TEA-Tiruppur, CII and DIY – Tiruppur, SACON – Coimbatore, WWF-INDIA-Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu Agriculture University – Coimbatore and Tribal Research Centre – The Nilgiris, for giving us an insight about the district and participating in the discussion regarding the future vision for the Coimbatore region, in Tamil Nadu. We specially acknowledge the people of all four District for their cooperation and support during data collection and primary surveys. SPA, Bhopal is obliged to acknowledge the efforts and motivation of all the faculty and officials, for administering and enabling the study. Without the relentless efforts of students: Bachelors of Planning (2015-2019), Masters in Environmental Planning (2017-2019) and Masters of Planning - Integrated (2018-2020), preparation of the Coimbatore Region Plan would not have been possible. We owe our responsibility for all the omissions and commissions in the report. Executive Summary Coimbatore region located in the north-western part of Tamil Nadu, comprises of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur and the Nilgiris districts. Each district has a distinct character and thus focus on various priorities in terms of development is also different. Coimbatore, Erode and Salem are a part of greater conurbation according to Vision 2023 proposal on Coimbatore-Salem Industrial Corridor. Though Salem was not regionally demarcated as a part of the Coimbatore region, it is considered to be the part of the urban continuum. Erode district, a part of this urban agglomeration, is heart of the continuous conurbation of Coimbatore-Salem Industrial Corridor and a connection between the East coast and west coast. It is the 6th largest district in terms of geographical area in the state of Tamil Nadu. Administratively the district is divided into 14 blocks and 10 Talukas. Erode City is the administrative headquarters of the district which was listed as a “Smart City” in 2015. Based on the study of the sub-region in detail, four pillars of development have been identified: Resource, Economy, Environment and Connectivity. Agriculture is one of the most important sources of income of the district. Paddy, turmeric, coconut and sugarcane are the dominant crops. Erode accounts to 43% of the turmeric production. The district is also known as the “Turmeric Capital” of Tamil Nadu. Advanced technology used by the farmers of the district helps in increasing the agricultural production. Erode district is an important market centre for turmeric and textiles. Economy of the district is dependent on both agricultural and industrial sectors. Textile, turmeric and oil industries are the core industries of the district. Industrially, the district is well developed due to the presence of Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd. (SIDCO) Industrial estates, State Industries Promotion Corporation Ltd. (SIPCOT) Special Economic Zone and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Cluster development. Bhavani Carpet (Bhavani Jammakalam) and Turmeric are geographical indicators of the district. Bhavani, Erode and Gobichettipalayam contribute to occupy important place in the field of oil- pressing. The handloom weaving industry has been able to totally withstand the onslaught of modernization. Large number of leather tanneries are also present in this district and the leather products are exported to different parts of the world. Rice milling is yet another industry which has been able to hold its own. Erode, Bhavani and Perundurai are known for highest number of rice mills in the district. Erode is also a part of the upcoming Coimbatore-Salem Industrial Corridor, where Erode plays important part in the Manufacturing and Business Investment Region II as strategic location for energy industries and logistic services and in Agri-Business Investment Region. Erode is connected to nearby settlements and urban centres through intensive road network, to other parts of the country through railways, airways and to other parts of the world through ports (for freight) and through airways (for passengers and freight). Connectivity has been cross-linked with other sectors to integrate the pillars of development of the district. Sathyamangalam Wild life sanctuary and tiger reserve in Erode District provides the link between Eastern Ghats and Western Ghats. It is also a major Tiger and Elephant Corridor hub. These forests were decaled as a wildlife sanctuary under the Wild Life Protection Act of 1972. It has been considered as a part of the Nilgiris Biosphere reserve. The national highway passing though the reserve has resulted in Human-Animal conflicts and forest fires in the recent years. During 2015 Erode was one of the drought-prone districts in Tamil Nadu and thus water resource development and ground water recharge have been considered to enhance future development of the region. Hence, a major focus on environmental sensitivity of the region has been included in the study. Contents Acknowledgements Executive Summary List of Figures List of Tables CHAPTER 1 – Situating Erode sub-region in Tamil Nadu ................................................. 1 1.1 Area and Population .................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Economy...................................................................................................................... 1 1.3 Environment ................................................................................................................ 3 1.4 Connectivity ................................................................................................................ 3 CHAPTER 2 – Erode sub-region in the Coimbatore Region .............................................. 5 2.1 Area and Population .................................................................................................... 5 2.2 Economy........................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Environment ..................................................................................................................... 6 2.4 Connectivity ..................................................................................................................... 6 CHAPTER 3 – Synchronising Tamil Nadu Vision to Erode ............................................... 7 3.1 Role of Erode in the Vision ......................................................................................... 7 3.1.1 Vision 2023 .......................................................................................................... 7 3.1.2 Future of the district .................................................................................................. 7 3.2 Role of Regional Connectivity ....................................................................................... 11 3.2.1 Air Connectivity ...................................................................................................... 11 3.2.2 Rail Connectivity ..................................................................................................... 12 3.2.3 Freight transportation .............................................................................................. 14 3.2.4 Port Connectivity ..................................................................................................... 15 3.2.5 Storage and Warehouses .......................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER 4 – Regional Plan for Erode sub-region .......................................................... 18 4.1 Vision Statement ............................................................................................................ 18 4.2 Objectives ....................................................................................................................... 18 4.3 Methodology .................................................................................................................. 18 4.5 Literature Review ..........................................................................................................