Coimbatore

Coimbatore
Kovai (கோவை)
—  Corporation  —
Coimbatore
Location of Coimbatore
in Tamil Nadu and India
Coordinates
Country  India
State Tamil Nadu
District(s) Coimbatore
Mayor R.Venkatachalam
Population

• Density

 930,882 (2001)

• 17,779 /km2 (46,047 /sq mi)
Time zone IST (UTC+5:30)
Area

• Elevation

 105.5 square kilometres (40.7 sq mi)

• 411.2 metres (1,349 ft)
Website www.coimbatore.tn.nic.in

Coimbatore (Tamil: கோயம்புத்தூர்), also known as Kovai(Tamil: கோவை), is the second largest city in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is the administrative headquarters of the Coimbatore District and a major textile and engineering hub of South India. It is referred to as "the Manchester of South India" due to the presence of a flourishing textile industry. It is a heavily industrialised city with textile factories, engineering firms, automobile parts manufacturers, health care facilities and technical educational institutions. The hill stations of Ooty, Coonnor and Valparai are close to the city making it a good tourist attraction throughout the year. The city is situated on the banks of the Noyyal River and is close to the Siruvani Waterfalls.

Contents

Etymology

One theory for the city's name states that the name is a derivation of Koyanputhur (lit. new town of Koyan), after the 12th Century Irula chieftain Kovan or Koyan, who ruled the region around the city (Kongu Nadu) during the reign of Kulothunga Chola I. This information is present in the Irula oral tradition and is corroborated by the 16-18th Century poem Cholapurvapattayam.[1] Kovanpudur or Koyanputhur evolved and became Koyambuthur or Koyamuthur; It was anglicized as Coimbatore.[2] Another suggested etymology involves the Dravidian root āru 'river' (DED 4233).[3] Yet another theory states that the name could have been derived from Koniamman after the goddess whose temple is situated in the city. Henry Whitehead in his Village Gods of South India (1921) states that the goddess worshiped by Koyan came to be called as Koyanamma which evolved into Kovaiamma and later Koniamma.[4]

History

The Sugarcane Breeding Institute at Coimbatore, 1927

Information about the origins of Coimbatore is scarce and speculative. The Kossar tribe mentioned in the second century CE Tamil epic Silappathikaram and other poems in Sangam literature is associated with the Coimbatore region (Kongu Nadu).[5] During 12th Century CE, Coimbatore was ruled by Irulas, whose chieftain Kovan, gave his name to the city.[6] Coimbatore is situated at the eastern entrance to the Palakkad Gap, the principal trade route between the west coast and the interior of Tamil Nadu. Large number of Roman coins and other artifacts have been unearthed around Coimbatore, indicating the region's ties with Roman traders. The Coimbatore region is in the middle of the "Roman trail" that extended from Muziris to Arikamedu.[7][8] The medieval Cholas conquered the Kongu Nadu in the 10th century CE. Much of Tamil Nadu came under the rule of the Vijayanagara Empire by the 15th century. The Vijayanagara reign brought new settlers from Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. In the 1550s, the military governors (Telugu speaking Nayakars) of the Vijaynagara Empire took control of the region. After the Vijayanagara Empire fell in the 17th century, the Madurai Nayaks established their state as an independent kingdom, with other Vijayanagar offshoots forming new kingdoms in Vellore, Tanjore, Gingee, Chandragiri and Mysore. The Nayaks introduced the Palayakkarar system under which Kongu nadu region was divided into 24 Palayams.[9] Between 1623 and 1672, Coimbatore was part of a territorial dispute between the Thanjavur Nayaks and Madurai Nayaks.[10]

In the later part of the 18th century, the Coimbatore region came under the Kingdom of Mysore, controlled by Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan. After defeating Tipu Sultan in the Anglo-Mysore Wars, the British East India Company annexed Coimbatore to the Madras Presidency in 1799. Coimbatore played a prominent role in the Second Poligar War against the British in 1801, as it was the area of operations of Dheeran Chinnamalai. In 1865, Coimbatore was established as the capital of the newly formed Coimbatore district and in 1866 it was accorded the municipality status.[11] Sir Robert Stanes became the first Chairman of the Coimbatore City Council.[12] Industrialisation of the region begin in 1888 and continued into the 20th century. The city experienced a textile boom in 1920s and 1930s due to the decline of the Cotton industry in Mumbai.[13] The region played a significant role in the Indian independence movement.[14] Post independence, Coimbatore has seen rapid growth due to industrialisation. In 1981, Coimbatore was constituted as a corporation.[15]

Geography

The entrance of VOC Park in Coimbatore.
A water fountain in VOC Park.
Birds in the Zoo in VOC Park.

Coimbatore is situated in the extreme west of Tamil Nadu, near the state of Kerala. It is surrounded by mountains on the west, with reserve forests and the (Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve) on the northern side. The eastern side of the district, including the city is predominantly dry. The entire western and northern part of the district borders the Western Ghats with the Nilgiri biosphere as well as the Anaimalai and Munnar ranges. A western pass to Kerala, popularly referred to as the Palghat Gap provides its boundary. Because of its close proximity to the Western Ghats, the district is rich in fauna.

Many lakes and ponds were constructed near the river in ancient times. The city of Coimbatore has nine lakes (wetlands). Singanallur Lake, Kuruchi Lake, Valankulam Lake, Krishnampatti Lake, Muthannan Lake and Seevagasintamani Lake are some of them. In most of the urban ecosystems, these wetlands are the major life-supporting component with high concentrations of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrate species. The Coimbatore urban wetlands harbours more than 125 species of resident and migratory birds, with August – October being the peak season. Spot-billed Pelican, Painted Stork, Open Billed Stork, Ibis, Spot-billed Duck, Teal, Black Winged Stilt are some of the migratory birds that visit Coimbatore wetlands regularly.

Apart from the species common to the plains, wild elephants, wild boars leopards, tigers, bison, various species of deer, Nilgiri Tahr, sloth bear and black-headed Oriole can also be found. The Anamalai Wildlife Sanctuary 88 km (55 mi) in the Western Ghats at an altitude of 1,400 meters covers an area of 958 km². Among the region’s livestock animals are Kangeyam breed bulls (cross-bred by Mandradiar family in 17th century to suit the terrain). This breed, which helped the region gain a foothold in the dairy industry, are found only in Coimbatore and neighbouring districts. More than 20% of the district is classified as forest, lying in the west and north. The forests here are abundant in commercially significant trees such as teak, sandalwood, rosewood and bamboo. The Nilgiris slope of the Mettupalayam range is rich in sandalwood trees and bamboo. They vary from rich tropical evergreen forests of Punachi range to jungles of shrubs in southern ranges. Kovai Kuttralam, a water fall and a popular tourist destination, is situated about 30 km (19 mi) from the city.

Apart from the high altitude regions of Western Ghats, most of the forest area has come under Lantana invasion. The locals refer to it as Siriki Chedi. The city also has a number of parks including the VOC park (named after V. O. Chidambaram Pillai), the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University park, Race Course children's park and Bharathi park.

Climate

Coimbatore
Climate chart ()
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average max. and min. temperatures in °C
precipitation totals in mm
source: Coimbatore district collectorate[16]

Coimbatore has a pleasant, salubrious climate, not reaching the high temperatures of other southern India cities. Under the Koppen climate classification, the city has a tropical wet and dry climate. Situated in the Western part of the state of Tamil Nadu, Coimbatore is located at an elevation of about 398 meters. The mean maximum and minimum temperatures during summer and winter varies between 35°C to 18°C.[17] highest temperature ever recorded is 41 °C and lowest is 12 °C.[18]

Due to the presence of the mountain pass, major parts of the district benefit from the south-west monsoon in the months from June to August. After a warm, humid September, the regular monsoon starts from October lasting till early November. These monsoons are brought about by the retreating North-eastern monsoon. The average annual rainfall is around 700 mm with the North East and the South West monsoons contributing to 47% and 28% respectively to the total rainfall.[17] Although this rainfall is not enough to sustain the needs of the city for the entire year, small rivers like the Siruvani and Atthikadavu fulfil the city's water needs.

The soil is predominantly black, which is suitable for cotton cultivation, but it also has some red loamy soil. Coimbatore falls under the Class III/IV Seismic Zone, having experienced a 6.0 Richter scale earthquake in 1900.[19] The Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History is located at Anaikatty in Coimbatore district.

Demographics

Historical populations
Year Pop.  %±
1871 35,310 —
1881 38,967 10.4%
1891 46,383 19.0%
1901 53,080 14.4%
1911 47,000 −11.5%
1921 68,000 44.7%
1931 95,000 39.7%
1941 130,000 36.8%
1951 198,000 52.3%
1961 286,000 44.4%
1971 356,000 24.5%
1981 704,000 97.8%
1991 816,321 16.0%
2001 930,882 14.0%
Sources:

As per the 2001 census,[22] Coimbatore had a population of 930,882 [23] in Municipal Corporation limits and 1,461,139 for the urban agglomeration.[24] Males constitute 52% of the population and females 48%. Coimbatore has an average literacy rate of 78%, higher than the national average of 59.5%. Male literacy is 81% and female literacy is 74% with 11% of the population under 6 years of age. The Sex ratio was 948 females per 1000 males.[25] In 2005, the crime rate in the city was 265.9 per 100,000 people, accounting for 1.2% of all crimes reported in major cities in India. It ranked 21st among 35 major cities in India in the incidence of crimes.[26] In 2001, the population density in the city was 9,500 per km2 (24,600 per mi²).[27]

The language spoken in the Coimbatore city is mainly Kongu Tamil, an unique dialect of Tamil language. The city's population is predominantly Hindu, along with a sizable Muslim[28] population. Christians, Sikhs and Jains are also present in small numbers.[25] Among Hindus, Gounders and Kamma Naickers/Kamma Naidus form the majority of the population.[29][30] The city also has many Keralites[31][32] mainly from Palakkad and North Indians[33] like Gujaratis[34] engaged in trade and commerce. During the 1970s the city has witnessed a population explosion as a result of increased economic growth and job opportunities.

Culture

Perur Pateeswarar Temple in Coimbatore, built 15th Century.

Coimbatore and its people have a reputation for entrepreneurship.[35][36] Though it is generally considered a traditional city, Coimbatore is more diverse and cosmopolitan than all other cities in Tamil Nadu except for Chennai.[35][33] The heavy industrialisation of the city has also resulted in the growth of trade unions.[37] There are numerous temples in and around the city including the Perur Patteeswarar Temple, Konniamman temple, Thandu Mariamman temple, Vazhai Thottathu Ayyan temple, Echanaari Ganesh temple, Karamadai temple, Marudamalai Murugan temple and the Dhyanalinga Yogic Temple.[38] The Mariamman festivals, at the city’s numerous Amman temples, are major events in summer.[39] The mosques on Oppanakara Street and Big Bazaar Street date back to the period of Hyder Ali.[40] Christian missions date back to 1647 when permission was granted by the Nayak rulers to set up a small church in Karumathampatti 12 km (7.5 mi). It was destroyed by Tipu Sultan’s army resulting in a new church in 1804. In 1886, Coimbatore was constituted as a diocese after bifurcating with Puducherry. Sikh Gurudwaras and Jain Temples are also present in Coimbatore.

From 1940s to 70s the city was generally peaceful without any communal or caste clashes.[37] Indira Gandhi's assassination in 1984 was followed by large scale arson and looting targeted at businesses owned by North Indians (particularly Sikhs).[41][42] During the 1980s crime increased, Hindu – Muslim riots were frequent in the late 80’s and 90's reaching their peak in 1997 when a large scale riot occurred in the Townhall and West Coimbatore area..[43] It was followed by the 1998 bomb blasts.[44] After 2000, Crime rate in Coimbatore dropped making it one of the largest cities in India with a low crime rate.[45][46]

Cuisine

Coimbatore cuisine is predominantly south Indian with rice as its base. However, the population of Coimbatore is multi-cultural due to the influx of migrant population from various regions of the country and this reflects in the food as well. The flavours are generally fairly mild, with variations to suit the local palette. Most locals still retain their rural flavour, with many restaurants serving food over a banana leaf. North Indian, Chinese and continental cuisines are also available. Mysorepa (a sweet made from lentil flour and ghee), idly, dosa, Halwa (a sweet made of different ingredients like milk, wheat, rice) and vada-sambar and biryani are popular among the locals. The recent influx of coffee shops and pizza shops has increased and serving as hangout locations for the youth. Some popular restaurant brands such as Anandhas, Annapoorna, Sri Krishna Sweets, Angannan and Hari Bhavanam originated in Coimbatore.

Administration

Corporation officials
Mayor
R. Venkatachalam[47]
Deputy Mayor
N. Karthik[48]
Commissioner
Anshul Mishra[49]

Coimbatore is a Municipal corporation as well as the headquarters of the Coimbatore District. The city is divided into four administrative zones - East, West, North and South, each further subdivided into 18 wards. Each ward is represented by a councilor whose is elected by direct election. The 72 councilors in turn elect the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor from their numbers. Councilors from each zone also elect a Zonal Ward Committee Chairman. Till 2006, the Mayor was elected through direct election. The executive wing of the corporation is headed by a Corporation Commissioner. The corporation runs and maintains basic services like water, sewage and roads.[50][51] In the last local body elections in 2006, DMK-Congress alliance won and DMK's R. Venkatachalam became Coimbatore's mayor.[52] The district itself is administered by the by the District Collector. The District court is the highest court of appeal in Coimbatore. The Police force in the city is headed by a Commissioner and there are 18 Police stations in the city.[53]

Suburbs of Coimbatore

A large part of the Coimbatore urban agglomeration falls outside the Municipal corporation limits.[54] These suburbs are governed by local bodies called Municipalities and Town Panchayats.[55]There are around thirty such local bodies including Perur, Irugur, Goundampalayam, Kurichi, Thudiyalur, Thondamuthur, Madukkarai, Kuniyamuthur, Kovaipudur, Chettipalayam, Sulur, Periyanaickenpalayam, Ettimadai and Karumathampatti. These local bodies are in turn split into wards each electing a councilor through direct election. The head of the local body - known as the Chairman for the municipalities and President for the Panchayats -[56] is elected by the councilors from among their number.[51]

Politics

Coimbatore elects five members to the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly and one member to the Indian Parliament. The five legislative assembly constituencies in the city are Combatore North, Combatore South, Kaundampalayam, Singanallur and Sulur. All five are part of the Coimbatore Parliamentary Constituency. Till 2009, there were only four assembly constituencies in Coimbatore - Coimbatore East, Coimbatore West, Singanallur, and Perur. Also about 20% of the urban agglomeration came under the Nilgiris constituency which runs into the northern part of the city and about 10% came under the Pollachi (Lok Sabha constituency). In the last Lok Sabha election held in 2009, Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) candidate won in the Coimbatore Lok Sabha constituency.[57]

Transport

Air

The city has an airport (Coimbatore Airport) at Peelamedu (11 km (6.8 mi) from the city) and an air-force base at Sulur 15 km (9.3 mi). The Coimbatore airport caters to domestic flights to all the major Indian cities and international flights to Sharjah and Singapore. The Extended Runway is now ready at Coimbatore airport. It now runs to 9,760 feet (2,970 m) and is capable of handling wide-bodied and “fat-bellied” aircraft, such as are used for international flights. With the extended runway, airlines can operate aircraft types such as 747 SP, A 330, 747-300B, 747-300 ER, 747-400 and 747-200.[58]

Rail

Trains first began serving Coimbatore in 1872, upon construction of the Podanur (Coimbatore South) -Madras line connecting Kerala and the west coast with the rest of India . Broad gauge trains connect Coimbatore to all parts of India and Tamil Nadu. Meter gauge line existed between Podanur and Dindigul got closed on May 2009 and is under gauge conversion. The Coimbatore Junction is well connected to major Indian cities like Chennai, Bangalore, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, New Delhi and Mumbai, besides the neighbouring State of Kerala. It is second highest revenue yielding station in the Southern Railway division of Indian Railways The Coimbatore Junction comes under the Jurisdiction of the salem Division and contributes 43.5% of its divisional income. Coimbatore North Junction is another important railway junction in the city.

Road

Dr. Nanjappa road opposite Gandhipuram Bus Stand
D. B Road in R. S. Puram

The city has six major arterial roads and three National Highways - NH-47 (Cochin–Salem), NH-67 (Mysore–Nagappattinam) and NH 209 (Bangalore–Dindigul). A new bypass highway built by Larsen and Toubro completed in 1998 has helped reduce truck traffic in the city. Coimbatore has several major bus stands. The town buses (intra-city) operate from the Town Bus Stand in Gandhipuram. Inter-city buses that connect Coimbatore operate from five different bus stands: Gandhipuram Bus Stand (for buses going to East and North East to Erode, Tirupur, Salem and surrounding areas), Singanallur Bus Stand (for buses to Madurai, Trichy and the towns around them), Thiruvalluvar or SETC Bus Stand at Gandhipuram (for buses to Karnataka, Kerala and Chennai), Ukkadam Bus Stand (for buses to Palakkad, Palani, Dindigul and Kodaikanal and other nearby places) and Mettupalayam Road Bus stand for buses going toward Mettupalayam and Ooty.[59][60][61] Apart from these the Omni Bus Stand in Sathy Road, Gandhipuram caters to private bus operators.[62]

Main shopping area, Cross Cut Road in 2009

The city has a very high vehicle-to-population ratio. Town buses started operations in 1921. Town bus services serve most parts of the city, as well as other towns and villages in the district. Buses also connect the district with all towns in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, South and West Karnataka, Puducherry and Tirupathi in Andhra Pradesh. The number of inter-city routes operated by Coimbatore division is 119 with a fleet of 500 buses.[63] The number of town buses in the city is around 800 in 228 different routes.[64] The city is also served by auto rickshaws. However, autorickshaw drivers have a reputation for fleecing passengers, resulting in the growth of call taxis.

Economy

The city's primary industries are engineering and textiles. Coimbatore is the highest revenue earning district in Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore is called the Manchester of South India due to its extensive textile industry, fed by the surrounding cotton fields. The district also houses the country's largest amount of hosiery and poultry industries . Most of the industries are run by entrepreneurs, often indigenous with family based or community financing. The city's industrial growth started in 1920’s and accelerated after independence, without any government assistance or the entry of external industrial houses. The city serves as the homeground for most of the well known industrialists from Tamil Nadu. Of late, information technology companies have started opening offshore development centres in the city.

Early industrial developments

Sir Robert Stanes.

When the British occupied Coimbatore, the territory connected the Malabar ports with the rest of India (apart from Konkan coast). The British later expanded their railway network in 1862, passing through Podanur to Cochin for quicker transit of raw materials required in England.

Sir Robert Stanes and Textile industry

In 1888, Sir Robert Stanes founded the Coimbatore Spinning and Weaving Mills (also known as Stanes Mills) in the northern edge of the town after starting a coffee curing factory in Trichy road thus kick starting the industrial journey of Coimbatore. The Stanes textile mill he started is the forerunner to the huge textile industry of world repute which Coimbatore has today. Sir Robert Stanes would later assist several others in setting up their ventures.[65] He was to be awarded the Kaiser-I-Hind gold medal for services to Coimbatore and to education and was subsequently knighted in 1920 for his high sense of honour. Two more mills (Kalleeswara and Somasundra mills) were established in 1910. Lakshmi Mills Company commenced their operations in 1911 in Papanaickenpalayam. By the 1930s, several textile mills had been established around Coimbatore due to the cheap power offered by the Pykara power station.

Samikannu Vincent
Swamikannu Vincent introduced Cinema to South Indian masses

In 1917, Swamikannu Vincent, a railway engineer, built the first cinema in South India, the "Variety Hall" (now Delite Theatres), later building s series of movie theaters around the city and also helped other in setting up. His son Paul Vincent introduced talking motion pictures in South India. Samikannu Vincent also invested two German Diesel Generators for his Movie Theater and then set up first Electric Printing Press and Rice Mill to consume the surplus Electricity generated. Then the British Government permitted Vincent to supply excess power to the Town. Thus Vincent became first to introduce Electricity to Coimbatore.

Beginnings of Engineering industry

In 1922, Narayanaswamy Naidu started a workshop to repair cane crushers and cotton ginning machines. Two years later, he established the Dhandayuthapani Foundry to manufacture Agricultural Pumps and Motors.[66] Around the same time, G.D.Naidu started his unique bus service. He is also credited for manufacturing the first electric motor in India.Apart from that he started a series of Engineering companies and Industrial training instute. In 1931, Pollachi Nachimuthu Gounder stated his transport business which grew into a multi-crore industrial and trading house. In the 1940s, a Sheffield University graduate, D. Balasundaram Naidu from Avarampalayam in Coimbatore, started his company Textool to manufacture textile machines of his design.Textool in 50's & 60's was one of the largest companis in South India that designed and manufactures indegenous Machines and industrial products. In 1965 another Textile family of VLB Naidu group set up Mopeds India Ltd after a technical collaboration with Motobécane of France to manufacture their legendary Motobécane Mobylette 50 cc moped under the name Suvega, but, only the central office was in Coimbatore while the plant was set up in Tirupathi.

Coimbatore was also a major movie hub in 1930s and 1940s with two fully equipped studios, Central Studios and Pakshiraja Studios. Many latter-day Tamil movie stars started or spent their early part of their career in these studios.

Industries today

A wind farm near Coimbatore.
CODISSIA Trade Fair Centre, Coimbatore.

Textiles

Coimbatore houses a large number of small and medium texitle mills. It also has central Textile research institutes.

The neighbouring town of Tirupur is home to some of Asia’s largest garment manufacturing companies, exporting hosiery clothes worth more than Rs. 50,000 million.

Information technology

The city is the second largest software producer in Tamil nadu, next only to Chennai. The software development is set to take an upswing with the launch of TIDEL park and other planned IT parks around the city. The IT industry in Coimbatore is nascent compared to its textile and manufacturing industries, with Tata Consultancy Services, Cognizant Technology Solutions, Robert Bosch GmbH, KGISL and CSS Corp Pvt Ltd to name a few.

Coimbatore is also emerging as an IT and BPO city. Coimbatore is ranked at [67] 17th place among the global outsourcing cities.

Manufacturing

Research and Development Organisations like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University [2], South India Textile Research Association[www.sitra.org.in], contribute a lot to the city. Other industries like PSG, Sakthi group contribute a lot, and the now closed South India Viscose are one of the major employers in the city. Larsen and Toubro (L&T) has a 300-acre (1.2 km2) campus on the outskirts of Coimbatore, Eachanari bypass road, Malumichampatti. L&T also commissioned its Casting Manufacturing Unit (CMU) near Malumichampatti in December 2009. Some of the other major industries are Lakshmi Machine Works (LMW), Premier Instruments & Control Limited (PRICOL), Premier Evolvics, ELGI Equipments, Shanthi Gears, Roots Industries, Janatics, LGB. Coimbatore is also called as the Pump City.

Auto components

Textool offered a prototype of Sten Guns to the Indian Government after independence. They developed the first in-house designed car in the 1960s, which never saw the light of day due to the license raj. They made several prototypes until the 1990s. They successfully manufactured India's first indigenously developed diesel engines in 1972 for cars and their own CNC lathes in 1982. Today their spin-off company, Jayem Automotives, offers R & D services to Mahindra, Tata Motors and Hindustan Motors.

Maruti Udyog and Tata Motors source up to 30% of their automotive components from Coimbatore. The city also houses numerous jewellers engaged in jewellery exports. Wind Energy major Suzlon has planned to set up a foundry & machine shop in Coimbatore. Along with it Hansen Transmission, a Belgian Company which manufactures gearboxes for windmills is setting up a plant here with an investment of Rs 940 cr.[68]

Wet grinders

Coimbatore has more than 700 wet grinder manufacturers with a monthly output As of March 2005 of 75,000 units.[69] The term "Coimbatore Wet Grinder" was given a Geographical indication for wet grinders manufactured in Coimbatore and Erode in 2006.[70] Coimbatore is also home to a common facility for the manufacturers of wet grinders.[71]

Pump manufacturing

It is also called as the pump city of India. The City houses large number of small scale engineering companies. The motor and pump industry supplies two thirds of India’s requirements, while its wet-grinder industry has a near monopoly. Agriculture is still the major occupation in the district as in any other part of the Country. General trade attracts people from all over the state including the neighbouring Kerala. The Major Pump industries Suguna pumps, Sharp Industries, CRI Pumps, Texmo Industries, Deccan Pumps & KSB Pumps are renowned world wide.

Coimbatore also has a 160,000 square feet (15,000 m2) trade fair ground, built in 1999. It was named COINTEC due to its hosting of INTEC (Small Industries Exhibition)[3]. The Trade Fair complex, one of the country's largest, was built in six months, and is owned by CODISSIA (Coimbatore District Small Industries Association)[4]. It is also the country's largest pillar-free hall, according to the Limca Book of Records.[72]

Environmental issues

Air pollution

Coimbatore's air quality is worsening due to the city's heavy industrialisation , but it is still better than some other cities in India. In 1990s the State Government and pollution control board took major steps to re-locate the steel foundries out of the city. The foundries were established in 1950s and 1960s when there were no residential areas nearby, but expansion had to give way. The textile mills are all equipped with air treatment towers. The results of such an exercise are yet to be realized.

Waste management

The city has no proper underground drainage or sewage system. Garbage is collected by the Corporation (sometimes systems developed by the locals). The city's hospitals have no proper bio-waste management scheme. Drainage is pumped into the remaining tanks through streams. During the 80’s, corporation planned on closing the tanks due to encroachment by filling with waste. But as a result of outcries from associations, the tanks are being renovated by the city's environmental groups with their own fund-raising. From mid 90’s, corporation authorities are keeping public encroachments under check. And also the city and road planning is a thing to be highly improved even in the newly developing areas.

The bio-medical waste dumped in Podanur Vellalur road has sparked lot of angry demonstrations by the locals in Vellalur village, but the local government is yet to solve this issue.

Tanks revival

Siruthuli,[73] an environmental organisation founded by the city's industrial houses, has embarked in de-silting of tanks and cleaning of the Noyyal river. Citizen Voice Club is one of the most active clubs in raising civic issues.

Education

In 1867, the first group of students appeared for the SSLC Examinations from Coimbatore. The earliest educational institutions established in the city are C.S.I. Boys High School (1831), St. Michael's Higher Secondary School (1860), Stanes Anglo Indian Higher School (1862), St. Francis Anglo Indian Girls High School (1880), Sarvajana High School (1910) and Suburban Higher Secondary School (1917). Presently there are three types of schools in Coimbatore - 1) government run schools (corporation schools) 2) schools funded by the government but run by private trusts (aided schools) and 3) schools funded and administered by private trusts. They are classified as Tamil Nadu Anglo Indian School Board, Tamil Nadu State Board, Matriculation and CBSE schools according to the syllabus taught in them. The Coimbatore Education District (not the same as the revenue district) is the unit of administration for education in the city. In 2010, the number of students who wrote the SSLC (Standard 10) and Higher Secondary (Standard 12) examinations was both around 30,000.[74][75]

Coimbatore is home to state owned universities like Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (est. 1971), Bharathiar University (1982), Anna University Coimbatore (2007) and private universities like Karunya University (1986), Avinashilingam University (1987), Amrita University (2003) and Karpagam University (2005). There also plans to establish a "world class" university in the region and to convert the Government Arts College into a unitary type university.[76][77] The first college opened in Coimbatore was the Government Arts College (1875–76). The Forest College and Research Institute was opened in 1916. The first engineering college in the city was started by G.D. Naidu as the Arthur Hope College of Technology in 1945. Later it became the Government College of Technology, Coimbatore. The Air Force Administrative College was established in 1949 to train Indian Air Force personnel. PSG College of Technology and Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT) were started in the 1950s. Coimbatore Medical College was opened in 1966 and the Government law college started functioning from 1978. The agricultural school established in 1868 was converted into a full fledged agricultural university (Tamil Nadu Agricultural University) in 1971. Several private engineering and arts & science colleges were started during the education boom in the 1990s. As of 2010, Coimbatore district is home to 54 engineering colleges, 2 medical colleges, 18 polytechnics and more than 70 Arts and Science Colleges.[78][79][80]

Media and communication

Two major English newspapers The Hindu and The New Indian Express bring out editions from the city. Business Line, a business newspaper also brings out a Coimbatore edition. Tamil newspapers which have Coimbatore editions include Dina Malar , Dina Thanthi, Dina Mani , Dinakaran (all morning newspapers) and Tamil Murasu and Malai Malar (both evening newspapers). Two Malayalam newspapers - Malayala Manorama and Mathrubhumi also have considerable circulation in the city.

A short wave radio station is operated by All India Radio, with most programs in Tamil, English and Hindi. Five FM radio stations operate from Coimbatore - Rainbow FM from All India Radio, Suryan FM[81] from Sun Network,[82] Radio Mirchi,[83] Radio City, and Hello FM.[84][85] All these private radio stations air exclusively Tamil based programs, including film music. The range of these stations cover Coimbatore, Erode and Nilgiri districts of Tamil Nadu and Palakkad and Wayanad districts of Kerala. Television relay started in 1985 from Delhi Doordarshan. In 1986, after inception of a repeater tower at Kodaikanal, telecast from Madras Doordarshan commenced. The people of Coimbatore witnessed the 1980 Olympics and 1983 Cricket World Cup on a giant screen in VOC Park when the city-based UMS developed a dish antenna for satellite signal reception. Currently television reception is through DTH or by cable, while Doordarshan reception is still available using an external antenna. In 2005, Doordarshan opened its studio in Coimbatore.[86]

Coimbatore has a well connected communications infrastructure. Till the 1990s the state owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) was the only telecommunition service provider in the city. In the 1990s, private telecom companies too started offering their services. Currently besides BSNL, fixed line telephone services are offered by Reliance Communications and Bharti Airtel. Dial up internet connections were first introduced (by HCL and BPL) in 1996 and broadband internet (by BSNL) in 2005. As of 2010, BSNL, Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, Tata Teleservices all offer broadband service through fixed lines and mobiles;MTS offers mobile broadband alone.[87] Cellular telephony was first introduced in 1997.[88] Coimbatore is the headquarters of the Tamil Nadu circle of cellular service providers. The telecom company Aircel is headquartered in the city.[89] Mobile telephone services available in the city include both CDMA and GSM connections.

Healthcare

The city has numerous hospitals. Apart from the Government hospital, several multi-facility hospitals function in the city. The district's health department is amongst the best in terms of implementing government-initiated health schemes. Also, several rare surgical procedures have taken place here. The polio eradication programme is heavily assisted by the city's Rotary Clubs, who also regularly donate ambulances for smaller hospitals. The city also has numerous homoeopathic clinics run by NGOs.

Fast pace of industrialisation, spiralling population and the increase in the health awareness have led to the growth of the healthcare industry in Coimbatore. Coimbatore stands second to Chennai in Tamil Nadu for highly affordable and quality healthcare deliveries of international standards.

Coimbatore is also the preferred healthcare destination to the floating population from nearby towns and districts and also nearby districts of Kerala. The growth of the hospitals in the city can be attributed to the vision of the industrialists here to bridge the gap between growing health needs and the existing services. Many of the private hospitals in the city are promoted by industrialists as an extension of their business portfolios and their services to the society.

The first healthcare centre started in 1909, later became the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) during 1960s.

Sports and recreation

A typical raceday scene at Kari Motor Speedway

Motor sports plays a large part in the city, with Coimbatore often referred to as the Motor sports Capital of India and the Backyard of Indian Motorsports.[90] Some wealthy industrialists, such as S.Karivardhan, who had a penchant for tinkering with machines and cars, plunged into motor racing, later making Coimbatore the country's motor racing hub. The city has a Formula 3 Category circuit, as well as three Go-Kart circuits. National Champion races for Formula racing (Cars), Motorcycle racing, Go-Kart racing are held in Kari Motor Speedway.[91] Super Speeds designs and constructs almost all Formula cars. Rallying is another major event with all teams based in Coimbatore. Rallies are conducted in closed roads around Coimbatore districts. Narain Karthikeyan is the city's most famous driver, being the first Indian to enter Formula One in 2005 with Jordan Grand Prix. Also he is the First & only Indian to win A1GP World Championship Race. Other famous motorsport personalities from Coimbatore are former Formula 3 driver J.Anand and seven time national rallying champions N. Leela Krishnan and V. R. Naren Kumar.

The city is also known for its antique bikes, cars and jeeps. Many prominent industrialists own antique automobiles.

Nehru stadium, built originally for football, can also host athletic meets. Now Synthetic track is constructed and Korean grass in the centre.[92] Apart from the stadium, the city also has several sports clubs. The prominent tennis player Nirupama Vaidyanathan hails from Coimbatore.[93] The Coimbatore Golf Club[94] is home to a major 18-hole golf course. The Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club, which is more than 100 years old,[95] was founded for Indian members only, in response to the English Coimbatore Club, which did not admit Indians until the 1950s. The Coimbatore Flying Club is located in the Coimbatore airport premises.[96] Current world chess champion Viswanathan Anand became India's first Grandmaster in 1987 by winning Shakti Finance International chess tournament held here in Coimbatore.[97]

Though there are a lot of entertainment centres mushrooming in the city, visiting the cinema still remains the city's most popular recreational activity.[98]

References

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