Residents have urged the Coimbatore Corporation to expedite the ongoing underground drainage (UGD) works in various parts of the city, citing difficulties faced by motorists due to the poor condition of roads left dug up during the construction process.
The Corporation is implementing a ₹185 crore UGD project in areas including Ganapathy, Gandhima Nagar, Vilankurichi, Thaneerpandal, SISH Colony, and Ondipudur, which are connected to the Ondipudur Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). The project involves the installation of 141.945 km of collection systems and the construction of 5,603 manholes. It aims to connect around 30,200 households to the new system.
Additionally, UGD works are being carried out in Thudiyalur, Veerakeralam, Kavundampalayam, and surrounding areas, with plans to cover approximately 60,000 households.
S. Shyam, a resident of Ondipudur, raised concerns, stating, “The Corporation is laying pipelines on Trichy Road, from Singanallur Junction to the Ondipudur flyover, which is a key arterial road in the city. However, the patchworks have not been completed, leaving the dug-up roads covered with sand and small stones. This has created significant trouble for motorists, with dust spreading everywhere, making the situation hazardous.”
“Even though we have requested for the roads to be relaid immediately, the Corporation officials have not responded properly,” said a resident of Sundarapuram.
An engineering official from the Corporation clarified that pipeline work on Trichy Road, from Singanallur Junction to the Ondipudur flyover, a 2.5 km stretch, has been completed, with only a 300-metre section of road remaining to be relaid.
Overall, the UGD project connecting to the Ondipudur STP, which began in April 2024, is 33% complete. Work in Thudiyalur, Kavundampalayam, Vadavalli, Veerakeralam, and nearby areas, which started in August 2023, is 25% complete. “We are focusing on immediately relaying roads after the pipes are installed to minimise inconvenience for the public,” the official said. The project is expected to be completed by May 2026. Additionally, the Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur UGD works are 95% complete, the official added.
Published - January 22, 2025 07:33 pm IST
