Conversion of the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai line will be a challenging task for Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), which has been entrusted with the task by the Railway Board.
The122-km stretch is the remaining portion of the Villupuram-Thanjavur conversion project (192 km). The line between Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai has been converted.
There are 310 bridges, including 33 major ones, and 18 level crossings and subways between Villupuram and Mayiladuthurai. The line runs along the east coast, and the sub-soil, where the existing bridges are located, is weak. An RVNL official says in view of the poor soil condition, it is desirable to lay the new bridges on the existing foundation. RVNL has decided to dismantle the existing bridges and construct new ones using pile foundation. Their height will be increased by two to three metres, taking into consideration last year's floods. As the soil throughout the stretch is uniformly weak, the embankments also have to be strengthened. Another problem being encountered by RVNL is the movement of construction materials such as ballasts and soil to the construction spot. With all these difficulties, the work has to be completed by December 2007, the target date fixed by the Railway Board. According to railway officials, once this portion is completed, it will link Chennai with Tiruchi via Villupuram, Cuddalore, Chidambaram, Mayiladuthurai, Kumbakonam and Thanjavur, known as `mainline' in railway parlance. For years, it did not get priority and allotment of funds was poor. Now, the Board has decided to complete the section before December 2007. The official says though it is a difficult target to achieve, RVNL will complete the conversion. Other major projects being undertaken by RVNL are the Vriddhachalam-Salem metre gauge line and a third line from Tiruvalur to Arakkonam.
Vriddhachalam-Salem is part of the Salem-Cuddalore conversion project (Rs. 191 crore), which is being part financed by the State Government. The line from Cuddalore to Vriddhachalam has been converted. The Vriddhachalam-Salem portion is to be executed jointly by Southern Railway and RVNL. While Southern Railway will take up the conversion work from Vriddhachalam to Attur, the rest will be done by RVNL. The official says the work will be completed before January-end next year. As the existing line is on plain terrain, there will not be any difficulty in completing the work before the target date. Similarly, the third line from Arakkonam to Tiruvallur will also be completed as early as possible.
Friday, November 17, 2006
262 libraries for villages
Rs. 5.25 cr. allocated for 46 buildings
-The process of setting up 262 libraries in rural areas will begin soon, said Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for School Education, here on Tuesday evening.
Speaking at the inaugural of the 39th National Library Week celebrations at the Connemara Library, he said that Rs. 5.25 crore has been allocated for 46 new library buildings across the State. Four district libraries are also being refurbished.
The committee for the selection of books to be bought for libraries would be reorganised soon by the Chief Minister, he added.
Later, he gave away prizes to winners of the oratorical competition held for school children to mark the library week.
K. Anbazhagan, Minister for Finance, gave away medals and certificates for the Best Librarian Award 2006 to 30 librarians representing all districts.
He said that the scheme to allow philanthropists to contribute Rs. 1000 to libraries could help the public participate in the upkeep of libraries. He urged publishers to pay more attention towards the type they use and the binding of the books they bring out, since such factors also contributed to a good experience of reading a book.
K. Ganesan, higher education secretary, Tamil Nadu Government, said the statistics that showed 5.27 crore persons visit the 3,751 libraries in the State needed to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Since most of these were repeat visits, the total number of visitors is probably a fifth of the number.
There were more than 50 vacancies of librarians in government colleges, he said and urged the Government to take steps to improve facilities in libraries.
-The process of setting up 262 libraries in rural areas will begin soon, said Thangam Thennarasu, Minister for School Education, here on Tuesday evening.
Speaking at the inaugural of the 39th National Library Week celebrations at the Connemara Library, he said that Rs. 5.25 crore has been allocated for 46 new library buildings across the State. Four district libraries are also being refurbished.
The committee for the selection of books to be bought for libraries would be reorganised soon by the Chief Minister, he added.
Later, he gave away prizes to winners of the oratorical competition held for school children to mark the library week.
K. Anbazhagan, Minister for Finance, gave away medals and certificates for the Best Librarian Award 2006 to 30 librarians representing all districts.
He said that the scheme to allow philanthropists to contribute Rs. 1000 to libraries could help the public participate in the upkeep of libraries. He urged publishers to pay more attention towards the type they use and the binding of the books they bring out, since such factors also contributed to a good experience of reading a book.
K. Ganesan, higher education secretary, Tamil Nadu Government, said the statistics that showed 5.27 crore persons visit the 3,751 libraries in the State needed to be taken with a pinch of salt.
Since most of these were repeat visits, the total number of visitors is probably a fifth of the number.
There were more than 50 vacancies of librarians in government colleges, he said and urged the Government to take steps to improve facilities in libraries.
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