Coimbatore Metro Survey Kicks Off: LiDAR, DGPS Tech To Map 35 km Twin Corridors

The Coimbatore City Corporation has received Rs 2 crore from Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) to conduct a land plan survey for two proposed metro corridors in the city.

The survey set to commence today (5 March), will cover a total of 35 kilometre—20.4 km along Avinashi Road (Corridor I) and 14.4 km along Sathyamangalam Road (Corridor II), Times of India reported.

The survey will involve comprehensive road mapping, identification of underground utilities such as high-tension power lines, telecommunication cables, water pipelines, and drainage chambers.

It will also propose relocation strategies for utilities that may obstruct metro construction.

To ensure accuracy, the corporation has engaged two private surveying agencies—one from Delhi and another from Chennai—on a trial basis.

Each agency will survey a 100 metre stretch at different locations, and based on the accuracy of their reports, one will be finalised for the full survey.

According to a senior corporation official cited in the TNIE report, advanced mapping technologies including DGPS, mobile LiDAR scanning, and ground-penetrating radar will be deployed.

Corporation Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran has also requested CMRL to appoint a deputy commissioner-level officer, along with one assistant and two technical support officers, to oversee the survey.

While the survey itself is an extensive task, the subsequent land acquisition is expected to be even more challenging.

Coimbatore Collector Pavankumar G Giriyappanavar highlighted that acquiring land along Avinashi Road—which houses industries, educational institutions, and hospitals—will be particularly complex compared to Sathyamangalam Road.

A consultative meeting with CMRL is being planned to explore land acquisition strategies employed in past metro projects.

Additionally, highway expansion work is already underway along Sathyamangalam Road, posing further technical hurdles.

Another major challenge will be traffic management. Ensuring smooth vehicular movement while widening roads and carrying out metro rail construction will be a daunting task.

On Avinashi Road, preliminary discussions with prominent private educational institutions have already been conducted, minimising the likelihood of legal conflicts.

However, deep-buried pipelines that radar may fail to detect could still pose unforeseen obstacles.

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