Madurai reader’s mail – The Hindu

Boost Tourism

Madurai has secured the top position in foreign tourist arrivals this year, with footfall of about 1.52 crore. While this is a matter of pride, it also underscores the urgent need to strengthen the city’s tourism-related infrastructure.

Basic facilities such as cleanliness, drinking water, toilets, quality roads, parking, public transport and better international connectivity require significant improvement. There is also scope to create tourist plazas and promote heritage tourism, medical and eco-tourism, eco-parks, waterfalls, theme parks and rural festivals showcasing local food, Pongal celebrations and jallikattu.

Beyond the Meenakshi Amman Temple, Thirumalai Nayakar Mahal and Theppakulam, natural attractions such as Vandiyur Lake with boating facilities, Kuttladampatti waterfalls and the Alagarkovil hills should be developed in a planned manner. Madurai has the potential to emerge as a prominent global tourist destination if a coordinated development strategy is put in place.

S. Kanagavel,

K.K Nagar

Passenger woes

Despite handling heavy passenger traffic, Periyar Bus Stand continues to lack basic amenities, causing considerable hardship to commuters.

Cleanliness is poor, with garbage piled up on most platforms. Platform space has been encroached upon by vendors, who add to the waste, while the shortage of garbage bins keeps the premises unhygienic. There is also an acute lack of seating and shelter, forcing passengers to wait under the sun.

Toilet and urinal facilities are poorly maintained. Senior citizens and other commuters find it difficult to walk on uneven and broken tiles across platforms. The absence of digital display boards indicating routes and platform numbers further adds to commuter confusion.

The authorities concerned should address these issues without delay.

T.R. Pratap Chandran,

Villapuram

To extend road

Bodi Line rail overbridge on the Bypass Road has been witnessing increased traffic in recent days. Given the rising vehicular volume, the existing road width is inadequate, leading to congestion and inconvenience to commuters using the bridge.

The authorities concerned should consider widening the road on the overbridge to ease traffic flow and improve commuter safety.

Padmavathy,

Duraisamy Nagar