Coimbatore’s revenue generating Kurichi Sidco Industrial Estate cries for attention

COIMBATORE: Despite generating over Rs 60 crore annually and providing more than 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, Coimbatore’s Kurichi SIDCO Industrial Estate lacks key infrastructure even after celebrating its golden jubilee. The industrial estate, which was set up on 88 acres of land on the Coimbatore–Pollachi Road in 1973, is one of Tamil Nadu’s oldest such facilities. It hosts more than 400 MSME units, including 240 registered firms and more than 100 operating on rental basis. Stakeholders say the estate has remained neglected for the last 25 years after many units moved in around the year 2000.

Though several new units and hundreds of new employees came, the industrial estate has remained unchanged when it comes to basic infrastructure. No new internal roads have been laid for about the last 25 years. The main roads in the industrial estate don’t have tar surfaces, causing difficulties to goods vehicles and daily commuters, says K Paramesivam, 35, who works in a company in the estate.

L Manoj, who runs a small unit in the estate, has alleged that civic staffers seek extra payments to clear industrial waste, forcing many micro units to burn trash or spend up to Rs 1,500 a month on disposal, while larger firms pay much more. He says designated waste dumping points should be established to improve hygiene and ease the burden on sanitation workers.

Coimbatore Railway Equipment Suppliers Association president S Surulivel says the industrial estate houses numerous units producing castings, automobile components, pump-set parts, grinder parts, textile machinery and other industrial spares. “Drinking water connections were cut in 2013 and have not been restored so far. Though a one lakh litre drinking water tank exists, it has remained unused for more than 10 years,” he says.

Surulivel says units are forced to buy water from outside for industrial use and for employees. He says small units are spending Rs 1,000 a month and larger units up to Rs 40,000 a month on additional costs for garbage removal and drinking water.

Rajamma, 55, and Kalaivani, 52, who have worked as weekly-wage workers at the SIDCO industrial estate for 15 years, say women struggle after 6pm due to lack of streetlights.

SIDCO senior manager D Ananth says Rs 1.5 crore has been allocated for road works. “SIDCO is collecting maintenance charges from industrial units functioning in the estate to cover 35% wages for watchmen and streetlight charges. Approval for road expansion works would be granted if 70% of the maintenance charges are paid, but only 33% was collected last year.”

He says SIDCO has been issuing repeated notices to units to clear the pending dues. “Water connection has remained disconnected for the past 13 years and the civic body is ready to restore the connection if the units approach the corporation,” he says.

N Mathivanan, president of the Coimbatore SIDCO Industrial Estate Manufacturers Welfare Association (COSIEMA), says SIDCO has allotted Rs 2.35 crore to relay roads. “COSIEMA has collected and remitted 45% of the pending tax arrears from units in the estate. Collection of the remaining arrears is SIDCO’s responsibility. Units regularly paying maintenance charges are also affected due to delays in upkeep,” he says.

He says industries in the estate generate over Rs 60 crore annually in revenues through property tax and garbage tax to the Coimbatore corporation and through GST and exports to govts. “But they face the prospect of an additional burden if they are required to pay separately to the civic body for individual drinking water connections,” he adds.