Underground sewer work in Tiruchi likely to be completed by June

The ongoing underground drainage (UGD) project in Tiruchi is expected to be completed by June as 80% of the work has already been completed

The ongoing underground drainage (UGD) project in Tiruchi is expected to be completed by June as 80% of the work has been completed.

The Tiruchi City Corporation, under three different phases — Phase II, Phase III, and the Smart Cities Mission — is implementing the underground drainage project in 45 wards. Phase II began in 2018 at an estimate of ₹344 crore while Phase III work commenced in 2019 at a cost of ₹366 crore under the AMRUT scheme.

Work is under way at Karumandapam, K.K. Nagar, Edamalaipattipudur, Sundar Nagar, Crawford, and Cantonment. Laying of pipelines and construction of sewage chambers was supposed to be completed by December 2023 as the Corporation could not meet the earlier deadline of June 2023.

According to official sources, around 80% of the work had been completed. Pipelines had been laid for a distance of about 800 km out of the total 858 km. Under the Smart Cities Mission, the Corporation has covered 160 km out of the proposed sewer length of 174 km.

“Efforts are on to complete the projects by June and the work is being tracked on a daily basis. We have given instructions to contractors to expedite the work to prevent clogging of sewers in the city,” said a senior Corporation official.

Although work was launched a year ago, there is delay in completing the UGD network at Pandamangalam and Pattabiraman Street. Most of the pending work was associated with connecting the sewage outlet from properties to the main sewers. Officials said the pending UGD connections to 48 properties at Woraiyur and other areas will be completed within this month.

As part of the project, the civic body will facilitate construction of diaphragm chambers by residents to prevent the clogging of drains caused by solid waste.