Tirupur: With the approval for the proposed extension of Underground drainage (UGD) system of Tirupur by the state-level technical committee, the city corporation could initiate the work to streamline its drainage and solid waste management systems.
However, the 525-crore project under the Amrut scheme awaits the administrative sanction from the state government.
The city corporation had connected 20,000 households in 19 wards with UGD, a decade ago. Due to lack of UGD pipelines under the existing system, only 7 MLD of 60 MLD of sewage water generated in the city could be treated in the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at S Periyapalayam. So, about 50 MLD sewage water was released into Noyyal River without any treatment.
Under the extension project, additional 31 wards, out of the 60 wards, would be covered with UGD pipelines. “A total of 583km UGD pipelines will be laid to connect 74,293 households in another 31 wards located around the core of the city. But rest of the wards would not get the system, with the proposed project,” a senior corporation official told TOI.
“Besides, the new project will install additional 36 MLD capacity of STP at S Periyapalayam, where the present capacity is 15 MLD. Also, another STP with a capacity of 20 MLD has been proposed at Andipalayam. We have acquired land for the STPs in both the locations,” the official added
Unlike, the existing UGD and STP, owned by special purpose vehicle, New Tirupur Area Development Corporation (NTADCL), the new project will be owned by the corporation itself.
To prevent damages to roads, the corporation will provide UGD connections to the households instead of allowing the residents to do it. Moreover, it was not clear whether the corporation will demand deposits from the residents to get the connections, as it did for the existing system.
The civic body has submitted the Detailed Project Report with an estimated cost of Rs 525 crore before the central government under the Amrut scheme. For which, 50% of the cost will be shared by the central government while 20% by the state government and the rest might be loaned from the Asian Development Bank. Recently, the corporation has allotted Rs 101 crore in the 2018-19 budget. The project was proposed to be completed in three years.
