2038

DRAFT REPORT
COIMBATORE REGIONAL PLAN - 2038 Report

Acknowledgement
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.

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We owe our responsibility for all the omissions and commissions in the report.

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COIMBATORE REGIONAL PLAN - 2038 Report

Executive Summary
The Regional Plan 2038 for the Coimbatore Region is prepared to cater the future
requirements of the region as the development of the region as a major industrial
center. The Region consists of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur and The Nilgiris district.
Each of this district has its own priority and focus in terms of development. While
Coimbatore, Erode and Tiruppur are part of a greater urban agglomeration of
Coimbatore to Salem, where Coimbatore – the second major urban agglomeration of
Tamil Nadu exist, Tiruppur and Erode adjoins Coimbatore in terms of urban
continuum. The planning of these sub regions are done by means of analyzing the
existing situation, identifying the issues and challenges at the ground level and then
integrating the proposals with the respective sub regions.

The total area of Coimbatore Region is 14% of the state and accommodates 12% of
the state‟s population. The Regional Plan preparation aims to develop the Coimbatore
Region in an integrated manner focusing on the economic growth engines of the sub
regions. The vision of the plan is to develop the region in a sustainable approach
focusing on the economic development in accordance with the environmentally
sensitive nature of the region.

The report studies the regional setting and connectivity of the region with the
neighboring districts and states focusing on the major transport corridors and the
highways important for bringing the development in the region. It also explains the
need of preparation of the regional plan, focusing on the highlights of the Coimbatore-
Nilgirs regional plan prepared in 1974 and predicting the urbanization of the
Coimbatore region for the future. This section also talks about the growth of the
region with the establishment of the industries and the future investments which will
further initiate the development in this region. A brief introduction of demographic
profile is given looking into the share of the region with the state and the constituents
of the sub region as well. A brief analysis of the regional economy is done
highlighting the share of the region in the GDP of the state focusing on each sector‟s
contribution and also the share of the work force involved in hsese sectors. The region
is sensitive in terms of the environmentally fragile areas as it comes under the
Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and the Sathyamangalam Tiger reserve also housing the
important rivers such as Moyar, Bhavani Noyyal and Cauvery. A brief introduction is
also given about the major elephant corridors present in the region which makes the
region highly eco sensitive. The vision and the methodology adopted for the region
focuses on the sustainable economic development of the region which is explained
clearly in the subsequent section. The existing settlement structure of the region
explains the Class I to Class VI cities and their growth. The growth rate of the
settlements is studied from 1991 to 2041 and the future population is projected based
on the different methods adopted depending upon the nature of population growth.
The induced population is then distributed based on the growth of the region as per

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the investments proposed to obtain the proposed settlement structure of the region for
2041. The Institutional set up of the region constitutes the Acts related with the
formation of the regional plan, the provisions and the institutions involved in the
preparation of the plan and the gap reflecting in the implementation. Thus, proposed
institutional framework is developed for the constitution of the Regional Planning
Authority as per the provisions in the Town and Country Planning Act,1971,which
will be the main implementing body for the Regional Plan. The financial set up for
the region is also discussed stating the investments for the region as per the Tamil
Nadu Vision 2023.

The constituent sub regions of the Coimbatore region is discussed briefly focusing on
the thrust area of the districts, the analysis incorporated based on the issues and
challenges and the proposals addressing the same.

The final proposal for the land use zoning of the region is worked which is based on
the future investments that are proposed in the region. Thus the zones are classified
based on the development of the land parcels as per the industrial and the agricultural
growth. The development of the residential and commercial zones is also focused
along with the industrial development of the region. The zoning also looks into the
conservation of the eco sensitive areas comprising of the national parks and wildlife
sanctuaries fulfilling the sustainable development concept.

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Table of Contents
Acknowledgement ......................................................................................................... 1

Executive Summary ....................................................................................................... 3

List of Figures ................................................................................................................ 8

List of Tables ............................................................................................................... 10

1. CHAPTER-INTRODUCTION TO THE REGION ............................................. 12

1.1 Location of Coimbatore Region in Tamil Nadu............................................ 13

1.2 Need for the Regional Plan ........................................................................... 14

1.3 Demographic Profile ..................................................................................... 25

1.3.1 Area and Population ............................................................................... 25

1.3.2 Density ......................................................................................................... 28

1.3.2 Sex Ratio ................................................................................................ 28

1.3.3 Literacy Rate .......................................................................................... 29

1.3.5 Marginalized Population.............................................................................. 30

1.3.6 Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribes Population ..................................... 30

1.4 Regional Economy ........................................................................................ 32

1.4.1 Gross Domestic Product .............................................................................. 32

1.4.2 Work Force Participation............................................................................. 35

1.4.3 Classification of Work Force Participation, Sector wise ............................. 37

1.5 Physiography and Environment .................................................................... 42

1.5.1 Physiography.......................................................................................... 42

1.5.2 River System .......................................................................................... 43

1.5.3 Environment ........................................................................................... 45

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1.6 Vision and Methodology .................................................................................... 48

1.7 Regional Connectivity ........................................................................................ 49

1.7.1 Road ............................................................................................................. 50

1.7.2 Railway ........................................................................................................ 50

1.7.3 Air ................................................................................................................ 51

1.7.4 Port............................................................................................................... 51

1.8 Settlement Structure ........................................................................................... 52

1.8.1 Existing Settlement Structure ...................................................................... 53

1.8.2 Determining Settlement Hierarchy by Administrative & Population size .. 57

1.8.3 Existing Scenario of Coimbatore Region .................................................... 60

1.9 Population Projection ......................................................................................... 62

1.9.1 Proposed Settlement Structure..................................................................... 64

1.10 Institutional Set Up of Coimbatore Region ...................................................... 69

1.10.1 Acts ............................................................................................................ 69

1.10.2 Administration ........................................................................................... 75

1.10.3 Finance....................................................................................................... 85

2. CHAPTER-CONSTITUENTS OF THE REGION .............................................. 93

2.1 Coimbatore Sub Region ..................................................................................... 93

2.2 Tiruppur Sub Region .......................................................................................... 94

2.3 Erode Sub Region............................................................................................... 94

2.4 The Nilgiris Sub Region..................................................................................... 95

3. CHAPTER-SUMMARY ...................................................................................... 96

3.1 Coimbatore Sub Region ..................................................................................... 96

3.2 Tiruppur Sub Region .......................................................................................... 97

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3.3 Erode Sub Region............................................................................................... 99

3.4 The Nilgiris Sub Region................................................................................... 100

4. CHAPTER-PROPOSALS .................................................................................. 102

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List of Figures
Figure 1-1: Evolution of the Coimbatore Region ........................................................ 13

Figure 1-2: Location of Coimbatore Region ................................................................ 14

Figure 1-3: Administrative Set up of Coimbatore Region ........................................... 14

Figure 1-4: Urbanization in Tamil Nadu ..................................................................... 16

Figure 1-5: Proposed Transport Corridors in Vision 2023 .......................................... 16

Figure 1-6: Eco Sensitive Zone.................................................................................... 17

Figure 1-7: Investment Regions .................................................................................. 18

Figure 1-8: Area and Population of the Region ........................................................... 26

Figure 1-9: Distribution of Area and Population within the Region ........................... 26

Figure 1-10: Population distribution of the region and the sub region ........................ 27

Figure 1-11: Population Density .................................................................................. 28

Figure 1-12: Sex Ratio ................................................................................................. 29

Figure 1-13: Literacy Rate ........................................................................................... 30

Figure 1-14: Marginalized Population ......................................................................... 30

Figure 1-15: Share of SC and ST population to the total population .......................... 31

Figure 1-16: Total Share of ST and SC population within the Coimbatore Region .... 31

Figure 1-17: GDDP comparison of the Coimbatore Region ....................................... 32

Figure 1-18: Sector's Share in regional GDP ............................................................... 33

Figure 1-19: Sector Wise share of GDP in sub region................................................. 33

Figure 1-20: Share of sectors in NDP of sub regions .................................................. 34

Figure 1-21: Share of sectors in GDP of sub regions .................................................. 34

Figure 1-22: Composition of the Work force participation of the region .................... 35

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Figure 1-23: Composition of the work force participation of the Coimbatore region . 36

Figure 1-24: Sub region wise composition of the work force participation ................ 36

Figure 1-25: Composition of the main workers population ......................................... 37

Figure 1-26: Composition of Sub region wise main work force participation ............ 38

Figure 1-27: Sector wise main work force participation of the Coimbatore Region ... 39

Figure 1-28: Composition of the Marginal workforce participation of the region ...... 40

Figure 1-29: Sub region wise composition of the marginal work force participation . 41

Figure 1-30: Sector wise composition of the marginal work force of the region ........ 41

Figure 1-31: Physiography of the Coimbatore region ................................................. 43

Figure 1-32: River basin of the Coimbatore region ..................................................... 44

Figure 1-33: Environmentally Protected Area ............................................................. 47

Figure 1-34: Share of Forest Area of Tamil Nadu Region .......................................... 47

Figure 1-35: Share of Forest Area within Coimbatore Region .................................... 47

Figure 1-36: Methodology for the Regional Plan ........................................................ 49

Figure 1-37: Regional Connectivity of Coimbatore region ........................................ 52

Figure 1-38: Existing urban settlements with comparison with urbanization rate ..... 55

Figure 1-39: Order of Settlements ............................................................................... 59

Figure 1-40: Methodology for Scalogram ................................................................... 60

Figure 1-1-41: Population Projection........................................................................... 63

Figure 1-1-42: Population Growth Rate from 1991-2001 to 2031-2041 ..................... 64

Figure 1-44: Comparison of Proposed Urban Settlements and Urbanization Rate in

Coimbatore Region (2041) .......................................................................................... 68

Figure 1-45: Institutional Set up of Town and Country Planning Board ..................... 71

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Figure 1-46: Institutional Set up for Regional Planning Authority as per T&CP
Act,1971 ....................................................................................................................... 73

Figure 1-47: Plan Preparation as per Spatial Data Infrastructure ................................ 76

Figure 1-48: Plan Implementation as per Spatial Data Infrastructure ......................... 76

Figure 1-49: Plan Monitoring As per Spatial Data Infrastructure .............................. 77

Figure 1-50: Plan Evaluation as per Spatial Data Infrastructure ................................. 77

Figure 1-51: Proposed Institutional Set up for the Regional Planning Authority ....... 84

Figure 4-1: Land Use Zone Map ................................................................................ 105

List of Tables
Table 1-1: GDP values of the Coimbatore region and Tamil Nadu ............................ 32

Table 1-2: Share of sectors in NDP of sub regions ...................................................... 34

Table 1-3: Share of sectors in GDP of sub regions ...................................................... 34

Table 1-4: Class Wise Average Population of Urban Settlement ................................ 53

Table 1-5: Class Wise Composition of Urban Settlement ........................................... 53

Table 1-6: Distribution of Population in the Coimbatore Region................................ 61

Table 1-7: Percentage share of population in the Coimbatore Region ........................ 61

Table 1-8: Growth rate of Coimbatore Region ............................................................ 61

Table 1-9: Population projection of the Coimbatore Region ....................................... 62

Table 1-10: Population Projection of the Coimbatore Region(2021-2041)................. 63

Table 1-11: Population Growth Rate of Coimbatore Region from 1991-2041 ........... 64

Table 1-12: Average population of Urban Settlements ............................................... 65

Table 1-13: Composition of Urban Settlements (2041) ............................................... 66

Table 1-14: Composition of proposed urban settlements (2041) ................................ 66

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Table 1-15: Spatial Data Infrastructure........................................................................ 79

Table 1-16: Financing as per Tamil Nadu Vision 2023 ............................................... 86

Table 1-17: Financing as per Central, State funded schemes and State Finance
Commission ................................................................................................................. 90

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1. CHAPTER-INTRODUCTION TO THE REGION

India is fast urbanizing country and the urbanization can be seen through the
urbanization rate which is 31.2% as per 2011 Census. Tamil Nadu is the fastest
urbanizing state in India with 48.4% people living in urban areas as per 2011 census.
The State‟s contribution to the economy is the second largest in the country which is
US$220 Billion as in 2018-19. The Coimbatore Region is the second largest
conurbation. Also, after the adoption of the Town and Country Planning Act, 1971 for
Tamil Nadu state, 8 planning regions were delineated for Tamil Nadu. The
Coimbatore region was formed in 1974 after the enactment of the act and was the
second largest urbanized region with 64.25% of the urban population after Chennai
Region with 77.7%.

The Coimbatore Region was originally a part of the Kongu country, inhibited by the
tribes. Before the region was ruled by the Kosras, Rashtrakutas, Cholas, Chalukyas,
Pandyas, Hoysalas, Alauddin Khilji, and Vijayanagar rulers, Madurai Nayakars,
Hyder Ali and East India Company. In 1799, after the defeat of Tipu Sultan in the
Anglo Mysore War, the Coimbatore region was annexed to the Madras Presidency. In
1865, Coimbatore district was formed and Coimbatore was established as the capital
of the newly formed district. The Nilgiris district was bifurcated from the Coimbatore
district in 1868. The district experienced industrialization with boom in textile
industry. In 1979, Erode district formely known as Periyar district was formed from
the Coimbatore district and renamed as Erode in 1996. In 2009, Tiruppur District was
carved out of Coimbatore and Erode district.

The Coimbatore Region comprises of Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur and The Nilgiris
district. It is one of the fastest growing region in Tamil Nadu. The region consists of
three major urban centers of Tamil Nadu Coimbatore, Tiruppur and Erode. The
Nilgiris district comes under the Nilgiris Biosphere Reserve and is famous for its hill
stations and lush green mountains.

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1865 1868

2009 1979

Figure 1-1: Evolution of the Coimbatore Region1

1.1 Location of Coimbatore Region in Tamil Nadu

The Coimbatore region lies in the North Western Part of the Tamil Nadu state in
Southern India. The region is spread out between 10°10‟ and 11°58‟ North Lattitudes
and 76°13‟ and 77°58‟ East Longitudes. The region is bounded by Chamarajanagar
district of Karnataka in the North and Iddukki district, Palakkad and Trissur district of
Kerala in south and south west respectively. The eastern part of the region which
comprises of both Erode and Tiruppur district shares its boundary with Salem,
Namakkal, Karur and Dindigul district. The western part of the region forms a part of
the Western Ghats and the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve consisting of lofty mountains.
The Western Ghats extends to North West of Erode district and North West, west and
Southern part of Coimbatore sub region. The Coimbatore Region as per the revised
demarcation consists of four districts- Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode and The Nilgiris.
The figure below represents location of Coimbatore region and administration setup
of Coimbatore region. As per census 2011, Coimbatore district is divided into 6
Taluks, 6 Municipalities and 1 Municipal Corporation. The Tiruppur district consists
of 7 Taluks, 6 Municipalities and 1 Municipal Corporations. The Erode District

1 Source: District Census Handbook

2
Source: District Census Handbook

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consists of 5 Taluks, 8 Municipalities and 1 Municipal Corporation. The Nilgiris

consists of 6 Taluks and 4 Municipalities.

Figure 1-2: Location of Coimbatore Region

Figure 1-3: Administrative Set up of Coimbatore Region

1.2 Need for the Regional Plan

As per the Town and Country Planning Act of 1971, planning is required for the
development and use of the rural and urban land in the state of Tamil Nadu for the

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purposes connected therewith. Thus, to achieve this objective the state has been
divided into planning regions based on economy, demography, social and physical
conditions in 1974. The Coimbatore region is one of the largest regions proposed as
planning regions after the implementation of the Town and Country Planning Act,
1971. The region comprised of then Coimbatore district, The Nilgiris district and
Karur taluk of Tiruchirappalli district. The Coimbatore district included the present
Erode and Tiruppur district. This region was an industrial region because of the
development of textile and agro based industries and Erode taluk had concentration of
the tanneries, oil mills, bleaching and dying industries, handlooms, etc. After the 1974
plan it was clearly mentioned about each individual functions and predicted the future
development in this region. It is also acting as a connecting corridor forming the
Coimbatore-Erode corridor which serves as a link from Madras to Cochin with good
connectivity of railways and highways. The agro based industries flourished in this
region especially turmeric production due to the presence of Bhavani and Cauvery
valley which provided with irrigation facilities. The Tiruppur taluk also witnessed
high industrialization and urbanization due to the presence of textile and hosiery
industries. Thus, they will emerge as future growth center as was proposed for 1991
and will attract more population.

The Nilgiris district major economic activity was tourism due to the presence of hills
reserve forest and pleasant climate. The potato cultivation and tea and coffee
production contributed to the primary and the secondary sector respectively. It was
anticipated that in 1991, the proposed working population should increase to 50%
which will mainly accommodate in the industrial centers of the region with growth
rate of almost 42% and 41% in Tiruppur and Erode respectively. In 1974 plan this
region was proposed to emerge as major economic region in the state due to
urbanization and industrialization. Six sub regions were delineated for development of
the region considering both environment and economic growth. The Master Plan
preparation was proposed for development of the growing urban centers mainly for
Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Erode, Octacumund and Coonor to cater the provision of the
basic amenities for future.

By comparing 1974th plan with existing scenario with rural and urban settlement, the
total area and density changed in a rapid manner. The Coimbatore region comprises of
the present Coimbatore, Erode, Tiruppur and the Nilgiris district. As per 2011 Census,
the urbanization rate of the region is one of the highest, next to Chennai. Coimbatore
is one of the four Metropolitan cities in the region and consists of second highest
number of non-metropolitan cities and census towns. Also Coimbatore, Erode and
Tiruppur are part of a greater urban agglomeration of Coimbatore to Salem, where
Coimbatore – the second major urban agglomeration of Tamil Nadu exist. Due to the
defense corridor investments, Tiruppur and Erode adjoins Coimbatore in terms of

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urban continuum. The urbanization rate of Coimbatore region as per 2011 census is
64.2% much higher than 1991 which was around 30.7%. The Coimbatore, Tiruppur
and The Nilgiris district have rapidly urbanized since 1991 which is more than double
the urbanization rate for Coimbatore and Tiruppur which is 75.7% and 61.4%
respectively. As per the study of the Oxford University Economics conducted in 2018,
Tiruppur city will be among the 20 fastest growing cities in the world in terms of
GDP with 8.36% growth in GDP year on year from 2019 to 2035 having more census
towns in 2001-2011. The urbanization rate for Erode and The Nilgiris district in 2011
was also very high which is 59.2% and 51.4% respectively.

As per Tamil Nadu Vision 2023, the Coimbatore Salem industrial corridor as
manufacturing and business investment region is proposed which will be focused on
production and manufacture of the logistics, heavy industries in Tiruppur and Salem
districts bringing in employment opportunities in addition connecting the industrial
areas and other hinterland. The Defence Ministry has taken multiple measures to
promote indigenization in the defence industry. In 2018, a Defence Corridors was
proposed in Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Defence Corridor will have Chennai,
Hosur, Salem and Coimbatore as Nodal Centers. This will develop ancillary industries
in and around the nodal centers bringing in more employment resulting in further
urbanization within class III and IV cities. The figures below represents urbanization
and proposed transport corridor.

Figure 1-4: Urbanization in Tamil Nadu Figure 1-5: Proposed Transport Corridors in
Vision 2023

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The proposed transport corridor as per Vision 2023 passes through this region. The
High Speed Rail connecting Chennai-Coimbatore- Madurai, the Industrial Corridor
between Coimbatore and Salem proposed as Agri Business Investment Region,
Coimbatore – Madurai Industrial Corridor and the Traingular Corridor proposed
between Chengelpet-Coimbatore and Thootukudi will bring in more investments and
employment in this region because of the presence of good connectivity both by rail
and road which facilitates the transportation of goods and raw materials. The
Coimbatore Region being the junction of all these corridors will experience high rate
of urbanization in coming years. The Coimbatore Region is rich in terms of forest and
biodiversity constituting of National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries. The share of
forest area in the Nilgiris and Erode district is almost 56% and 46% respectively
making this region eco sensitive.

As per the Regional Plan prepared for the

region in 1980, the Master Plan
preparation was proposed for the Urban
centers of this region owing to the future
urbanization and industrialization of the
region. Some of the conclusions of the
plan was incorporated sector wise for
future expansion of the region but was
not incorporated as whole. Area wise it is
greater than Chennai Mega-regional area
8878 sq. km. with fast growing
urbanization activity there should be
necessity for regional plan to cater
monopolistic development of Tamil
Nadu.
Under TNTCP Act, Section 15, Master
Plan should be followed by region but
Figure 1-6: Eco Sensitive Zone
current scenario is different as there is no hierarchy plan, missing out linkages and
integration. If it continues, only urban area will get developed, hinterland will be
converted into sprawl. In order to avoid unplanned development in a controlled
manner, it can be brought through regional plan. Thus, there is a need for the
preparation of the Regional Plan for this growing economic region catering to the
proposed investments and growth of this region in terms of industrial corridors, future
economic growth, bringing in more induced population in accordance with the eco
sensitive nature of the region.

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Figure 1-7: Investment Regions

The investment regions proposed in the Coimbatore Region as per the Tamil Nadu
Vision 2023 will also initiate rapid development of the region in future decades. The
detailed investments proposed are listed below.

Transport

Six-Eight Lane Triangular Corridor: Thoothukudi-Coimbatore Alignment

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The second segment of the Six/Eight lane triangular alignment runs from Thoothkudi
to Coimbatore which covers a distance of 282 kms of National Highways and 53 kms
of State Highways. The National Highway 209 in the Coimbatore region which falls
in this triangular alignment will have a multiplier effect on the economy of the region.
Provision of employment opportunities in construction and operations which will
change the economic landscape of the district. This project will support the
manufacturing and business hubs, agri-business hubs, tourism zones and knowledge
hubs proposed in the region. The project will be implemented by Tamil Nadu Road
Development Corporation with an investment of 5,000 crores in Public-Private
Partnership.

Six-Eight Lane Triangular Corridor: Coimbatore- Chengalpet Alignment

The third segment of the Six/Eight lane triangular alignment runs from Coimbatore to
Chengalpet which covers a distance of 196 kms of National Highways and 266 kms of
State Highways. This project will support the Coimbatore-Salem Industrial corridor.
The project will be implemented by Tamil Nadu Road Development Corporation with
an investment 9,000 crores in Public Private-Partnership.

Madurai-Coimbatore High Speed Rail Link

Madurai and Coimbatore being two major cities have a significant passenger traffic.
The high-speed link between these two cities will be useful for fast passenger
movement, lesser energy consumption, reduced accidents and overall economic
development of the region. The link will be aligned through the towns of Dindigul,
Udumalpet and Pollachi. This project will be implemented by Indian Railways with
an investment of 23,000 crores in Public-Private Partnership.

Coimbatore-Chennai High Speed Rail Link

Coimbatore and Chennai are the major business and industrial centre in the state of
Tamil Nadu which has resulted in heavier passenger traffic. The high-speed link
between these two cities will provide a faster passenger movement accounting to
significant savings, lesser energy consumption, reduced accidents and overall
economic development of the region. The project will be implemented by Indian
Railways with an investment of 45,000 crores in Public-Private Partnership.

Aviation

Expansion of Coimbatore Airport

The project will expand the existing AAI‟s Coimbatore Airport by increasing the
length of the runway by 3,000 meters to handle wide aircrafts, new passenger terminal
with a capacity of 2 million passengers and associated facilities with an area of 65,000

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sq. mts. The proposed airport will have a multiplier effect on the region enhancing the
economic development. This project will be implemented by Airports Authority of
India and Transport Department of Government of Tamil Nadu with an investment of
3,000 crores in Public-Private Partnership.

Industry Sector

Coimbatore-Salem Industrial Corridor – Manufacturing and Business

Investment Region – I & II

One of the Manufacturing and Business region will be established in Coimbatore-

Tiruppur district and the second one in Salem district focusing on industries like
heavy engineering, precision tools, logistics etc. Manufacturing zones, industrial
parks, warehouses and logistics hub will be developed including internal
infrastructure for residential development and specialised infrastructure which would
include testing centres, QC labs, product display centre, administration buildings,
training centre, etc. This project will enhance the competitiveness and efficiency of
manufacturing enterprises in the region and provide connectivity to industrial areas.
The project will be implemented by State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil
Nadu (SIPCOT) with an investment of 7,200 crores in Public-Private Partnership.

Coimbatore-Salem Industrial Corridor – Agri Business Investment Region

(ABIR)

The Agri Business Investment region is proposed in Erode-Namakkal Districts which

would serve as a hub for agri engineering and food processing for vegetables, fruits,
grains and packaged food/convenience food, spices, dairy, poultry and animal
products. Manufacturing zones, industrial parks (agro-food, agro-logistics, livestock),
warehouses and logistics hub will be developed along with internal infrastructure for
residential development and specialised infrastructure for the agri business hub. The
proposed project will develop multi-model infrastructure development in the region
ad also will empower rural communities by creating high-value business
opportunities. It is estimated that the project will create 5 lakh direct and indirect jobs.
Thrust areas like improvement in the production of crops, wastage reduction, price
stabilisation, genetically modified varieties, micro propagation, micro irrigation,
organic farming etc., will be addressed. The project will be implemented by State
Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) with an investment of
4,800 crores in Public-Private Partnership.

Coimbatore-Madurai Industrial Corridor

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This corridor covers Coimbatore, Tiruppur, Dindigul and Madurai districts with an
objective to establish a link between Coimbatore and Madurai cities. Textile and agro-
processing industries which have dominated the industrial development in these
districts will be enhanced by improving industrial infrastructure. This corridor will
utilise the agricultural produce of the adjoining corridor. Textile, light engineering
and agro based industries will be concentrated in Coimbatore and Tiruppur districts.
The proposed six/eight lane road and the high-speed rail link will facilitate
development of the corridor. The project will be implemented by State Industries
Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT) with an investment of 10,000 crores
in Public-Private Partnership.

Industrial Parks of Small and Medium Enterprises

Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Ltd. (SIDCO) proposes 25

industrial parks for Small and Medium Enterprises in 15 districts out of which one
park will be established in Kandiyan Kovil village in Coimbatore district. The park
will extend to 250 acres and will be self-contained with utilities, common services and
facilities for small industries. The proposal has been submitted to the Department of
Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Ministry of Fertilisers and Chemicals, Government of
India. The project will be implemented by Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development
Corporation Ltd. (SIDCO) with an investment of 1,000 crores in Public-Private
Partnership.

Urban Infrastructure, Water Storage and Supply, Solid Waste Management and
Housing

World-Class Cities Programme

The World-Class Cities Programme includes 10 cities in Tamil Nadu namely,

Chennai, Coimbatore-Tiruppur, Madurai, Trichy, Salem-Erode, Tirunelveli,
Tuticorin, Vellore-Ranipet, Cuddalore and Hosur. With the rapidly increasing
urbanisation rate in the state of Tamil Nadu it is important to enhance basic services
in the cities to cater to the increasing population. The programme will improve water
supply, sanitation, solid waste management, urban transport, housing and other
sectors in the cities. The project will enable universal, affordable, consistent and
equitable piped water supply and best class services in all the cities under the
programme. This programme will be implemented by the Urban Local Bodies and
Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD) with an investment of 5,000
crores.

100% Sanitised – Clean and Garbage Free cities

Tamil Nadu has been a pioneer in Solid Waste Management through Public-Private
Partnership. This programme will be implemented in Coimbatore in compliance with

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the SWM rules of 2000 in all urban areas of the state, implementation of door-to-door
collection and source segregation, regional approach to create and operate waste
processing and landfill and mandating localised bio-degradable waste processing.
This programme will be implemented by the Urban Local Bodies with an investment
of 5,000 crores and the mode of finance will be grants from state and central
government and Public-Private Partnership.

Mass Public Transit Systems for Madurai and Coimbatore

Observing the growth potential of Coimbatore and Madurai public mass transit
systems for these cities is required. The objective of this programme would prepare a
plan for modern public transit systems in Coimbatore, Madurai, Trichy and Salem.
This project will help in enhancing the urban transport initiatives of these cities and
would help world-class transit system and seamless connectivity. This programme
will be implemented by the Transport Department with an investment of 50,000
crores and the mode of finance will be grants from state and central government and
Public-Private Partnership.

Agriculture and Irrigation Sector

Infrastructure support for Agro Food Processing Industry

Coimbatore, Erode, Nilgiris and Tiruppur districts have been included in this project
to improve processing industries and engage farmers in high productive farming
techniques to maximise outputs of their farms. The project will improve existing
processing centres by encouraging cold storages and reducing wastage in the supply
chain. This programme will be implemented by the Agriculture Department with the
support of Tamil Nadu Agriculture University with an investment of 5,000 crores and
the mode of finance will be Public-Private Partnership.

Infrastructure for Dairy Processing

The state government has aimed to promote White Revolution by doubling the milk
production capacity of Tamil Nadu. With the augmentation of various schemes, the
livestock population in the state has increased the household income. This project will
help in enhancing dairy processing centres across the state and includes Coimbatore
district. These processing centres will not only be developed for primary processing
but also distributing milk and other value-added products like flavoured milk, milk
powder, ghee, paneer, cheese, khoa and other processed milk products which will aid
for economic development of milk industry. This programme will be implemented by
Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries Department with an investment of 5,250
crores and the mode of finance will be Public-Private Partnership.

Infrastructure for Poultry Processing

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The Government of Tamil Nadu intends to promote poultry meat processing and egg
processing industry by Public-Private Partnership. The project will help in the
creation of processing infrastructure for poultry meat and egg. The main objective is
to establish a supply chain integrating marginal farmers and small and medium
hatcheries would result in tremendous economic return. Coimbatore, Tiruppur and
Erode districts are included in this project for modernising the production method and
quality requirements. This programme will be implemented by Animal Husbandry,
Dairying and Fisheries Department with an investment of 2,000 crores and the mode
of finance will be Public-Private Partnership.

Lining of major canals in Tamil Nadu

The project aims to provide stone, concrete, precast slab or HDPE lining for the major
canal systems in the state and piped water supply will be provided to the adjacent
field to compensate the loss of natural recharge. Through this project the water
seepage losses can be avoided to great extent and silting of canals can be limited. This
programme will be implemented by WRO-Public Works Department with an
investment of 5,000 crores and the mode of finance will be Public-Private Partnership.

Health Sector

Medi Cities at Perundurai and Madurai

Two medi-cities will be established at the existing institute of Road Transport

Medical College Campus at Perundurai, Erode. The medi-cities will have high end
medical services and hospitality services to cater medical tourism market in South
India. Apart from medical services the medi-city will be focusing on medical
research. Perundurai is located on NH-47 and is one of the most important centres for
tourist activity. Erode being the gateway to Western Ghats and Eastern Ghats and
Coimbatore airport is located 40 kms from Perundurai. Hospitality, entertainment and
logistics facilities will be enabled by private organisations. This programme will be
implemented by Health and Family Welfare Department, Interested Private
Sector/Corporate groups with an investment of 2,000 crores and the mode of finance
will be Public-Private Partnership.

Centres for Excellence for Cancer Cure

Centre for excellence will be established in five location across Tamil Nadu for
cancer care. Coimbatore district is also included in this project. Government hospitals
will be encouraged to partnership with reputed medical institutions to improve
diagnostic, curative and surgical capabilities in cancer care. This programme will be
implemented by Health and Family Welfare Department with an investment of 500
crores and the mode of finance will be Public-Private Partnership.

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Establishment of Five Global Quality Nursing and Para Medical Training

Institutes

The state will establish nursing and paramedical training institutions of international
standards for supporting healthcare survey. This programme will be implemented by
Health and Family Welfare Department with an investment of 500 crores and the
mode of finance will be Public-Private Partnership. The objective of the project is to
establish world class workforce capable of serving international hospitals and
establishments. This programme will be implemented by Private Education
institutions with an investment of 500 crores and the mode of finance will be Private
Partnership.

Education, Human Resources Development and Skill Development Sector

Knowledge Hub in Coimbatore/Salem

The project majorly focuses on the development of Coimbatore/Salem as Knowledge

City which will be a destination for investments in higher education. The knowledge
city will act as a regional hub for learning and innovation bridging the gap between
talent gap and learning environment. It would primarily serve as IT, ITES hub for
software development and Information Technology Development. The project will
aim to make Tamil Nadu the back-off capital of the world for large scale information
technology based on banks, insurance, financial services, consultancies, engineering,
accounting, healthcare, architecture etc. High speed connectivity and bandwidth
essential for increase in the productivity and competitiveness of the Knowledge City
will be enhanced. This programme will be implemented by Tamil Nadu Industrial
Development Corporation with an investment of 750 crores and the mode of finance
will be Public-Private Partnership.

Enhancing Employability Skills of Engineering Students

The project will improve the employability skills of graduate engineers by educating
on analytical skills, practical ingenuity, design, creativity, communication skills,
business and management skills, leadership skills, ethical standards, professionalism,
lifelong learning skills, team building skills and flexibility. Coimbatore has been
selected for this programme. This programme will be implemented by Anna
University, Chennai with an investment of 6,000 crores and the mode of finance will
be through Universities and colleges in Tamil Nadu.

Entrepreneurship Development Centre – Coimbatore

Pollachi, Mettupalayam and Valparai are key centres fo agro cultivation and trading
centres. Coimbatore centre will focus on manufacturing and services related to
incubation support in the broad activities: mapping of potential SME opportunities,

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mapping/screening of potential of SMEs, Capacity building through local universities,

incubation support with the help of financial institutions and mentoring helpline. This
programme will be implemented by Department of Higher Education, Industry, Tamil
Nadu Skill Development Mission, Tamil Nadu Corporation for Development of
Woman with an investment of 15 crores and the mode of finance will be government
funds.

Centre of Excellence for Agricultural Practices

This programme will bring out sustainable solutions for improving agricultural
capability of the state in improving agricultural yield, reduced input cost for
agricultural production, optimal irrigation requirement, reduced wastage, speedy
transfer of technology and better storage and transportation. This programme will be
implemented by Tamil Nadu Agriculture University supported by Agriculture
Department with an investment of 500 crores and the mode of finance will be Public-
Private Partnership.

The regional plan also should concentrate on accommodating the future induced
population which will be added because of the employment that will be generated
because of these investments with all the basic amenities and infrastructure. Also this
region has a major share in the economic development of the state in terms of
primary, secondary and tertiary sector with 15.16% share in the GDP of the state.
Thus, a regional plan preparation is required for the sustainable economic
development of the region.

1.3 Demographic Profile

1.3.1 Area and Population

The Coimbatore region consists of following sub-region: Coimbatore, Tiruppur,

Erode and The Nilgiris district with an area of 18,235 sq km which accounts for 14%
of the total area of the state which is 1,30,060 sq.km . This 14% area of the region
accommodates 8,924,235 people which is 12% of the state‟s population, as per census
2011.

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Figure 1-8: Area and Population of the Region2

Within 14% of the area of the region, Erode sub region has the major share of 32% of
area accommodating 25% of the population of the region. The second major area is
shared by the Tiruppur sub-region accommodating 28% population of the region. The
Coimbatore sub-region shares 26% of the area of the region accounting for maximum
share of population of the region which is 39%. The Nilgiris sub-region has the least
share of area in the region about 14% accommodating only 8% of the population.
Figure represents area and population share in comparision with Tamil Nadu as well
as distribution within the region.

Figure 1-9: Distribution of Area and Population within the Region3

During the last three decades, trends show that the growth of the urban population
have been increasing in both the region and sub regions. The urbanization rate of the
Coimbatore region has increased from 30.7% to 64.2% from 1991 to 2011 which is
almost twice that of 1991. The rural population declined in the same proportion. The
share of population of the region within the state remained constant with a small
increase of 0.8%. Within the Coimbatore region, the Coimbatore district has the
maximum increase in the urban population from 31% to 75.7% since 1991 because of
the growth of the industries mainly the textile and the pump industries. The
subsequent decrease in the rural population was seen due to the migration of the

2
Source: District Census Handbook
3
Source: District Census Handbook

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people for employment. The Tiruppur district shows the second maximum increase in
the share of the urban population from 28.7% in 1991 to 61.4% in 2011 which is more
than 30%. The figure below represents, the population distribution of the each region
with the sub-region.

Figure 1-10: Population distribution of the region and the sub region4

The urbanization level of Tiruppur district is increasing over the years because of the
development which came through the growth of the industrial sector mainly the textile
mills, hosiery and ginning factories which is also reflected in the share of the total
population of the district with the state which is 4.4%. For Erode district, the total
share of population with the state has decreased by 2.4% but the urbanization rate has
increased from 49.8% in 1991 to 59.2% in 2011 mainly because of the blooming of
the agro based industries specially turmeric production which made Erode as the
Turmeric capital of India. From 2001 to 2011, a slight decrease in share of the total
urban population of the district with the state was observed mainly due to the water
related issues which was reflected in the urbanization rate also. The total share of
population of The Nilgiris district to the state has decreased from 10.9% in 1991 to
8.2% in 2011 because of the less employment related opportunities in the district as
the district is highly eco sensitive with more than 50% of the area covered with forest.
This can be reflected in the increasing urbanization rate of the district from 24.6% in
1991 to 51.4% in 2011 mainly due to the migration of the people in search of work in
the tea, coffee and tourism industry which are the main economy generating sectors in
the district.

4
Source: Census of India,1991,2001,2011

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1.3.2 Density

The density of population of the Coimbatore region is 489 persons/sq.km as against

555 persons/sq.km of the state as per 2011 census. The Coimbatore region saw
increase in the population density from 359 persons/sq.km in 1991 to 489
persons/sq.km subsequent to the state. The Coimbatore sub-region has the maximum
population density in the region which has increased from 528 in 1991 to 732 in 2011
because of the increase in the population of the district. The same trend can be seen in
the other sub regions. The second maximum increase can be seen in the Tiruppur sub
region from 295 in 1991 to 478 in 2011 with an increase of more than 1.5%. The
Erode sub region showed a slow rate of increase of population density from 313 in
1991 to 391 in 2011. The population density of the The Nilgiris sub region increased
from 277 in 1991 to 297 in 2001 and decreased to 287 in 2011 because of the
decrease in the population of the sub region due to less employment opportunities.

Figure 1-11: Population Density5

While comparing to other sub-regions, Coimbatore sub-region has higher density than
state, but there is possibility of stability in growth density for Coimbatore region after
some point of time. Later there might be a possibility for the growth of sub-region
within the region. This needs to be considered. The figure above represents the
density of the Tamil Nadu, Region and the Sub-regions.

1.3.2 Sex Ratio

Women accounts for one half of a country‟s potential thus balanced sex ratio is
desirable for the development of a region. Gender imbalances have been known in the
human history to cause serious negative consequences for the development of the

5
Source: Census of India,1991,2001,2011

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society in the long run. Thus, as the Tamil Nadu state is fast urbanizing, the study of
the sex ratio is important to analyze the share of the development by the female
population.

According to the 2011 census, the state of Tamil Nadu has 36,137,975 males,
36,009,055 females which indicate the sex ratio of 996 females per 1000 males.
Coimbatore region as a whole has slightly better sex ratio of 998 females per 1000
males as compared to Tamil Nadu. Amongst the sub-regions of Coimbatore region,
Nilgiris has the highest sex ratio of 1042 females per 1000 males followed by that of
Coimbatore which is 1001 females per 1000 males which is well above the state
average. Unlike these two sub-regions, Erode and Tiruppur have comparatively lower
female population with the ratios of 992 and 988 females per 1000 males. Nilgiris and
Coimbatore sub-regions also show the highest increase in the female population from
the year 1991 to 2011 followed by Erode and Tiruppur. This shows there is potential
for female workers in industrial areas. The figure below represents sex ratios of the
region over the years.

Figure 1-12: Sex Ratio6

1.3.3 Literacy Rate

The Figure 1-13 below represents the literacy rate of the state and Sub regions of
Coimbatore region. The literacy rate is gradually increasing for both Tamil Nadu as
well as Sub regions of Coimbatore region, denoting the accessibility to educational
facilities. Within Sub-region, The Nilgiris districts has highest literacy rate and Erode
shows lowest literacy rate.

6
Source: Census of India,1991,2001,2011

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