The Hindu 26.08.2009

Drainage scheme work to begin soon

Special Correspondent

COIMBATORE: The much-awaited Rs. 377-crore underground drainage scheme will take off to cover a large part of the city that does not have underground sewers, according to Corporation Commissioner Anshul Mishra.

Out of three packages for establishing a sewage collection system, the work for two had already been awarded. But, the commencement of work had been put on hold because of the byelection to the Thondamuthur Assembly constituency on August 18. “Now, that the election is over, the work will begin in the first week of September,” Mr. Mishra told presspersons on Monday.

Another package

Another package was being put through the process of re-tender and the work relating to this would begin in another 40 days.

Work on related projects – the establishing of sewage treatment plants - had already begun. One plant was being established at Ukkadam and another at Nanjundapuram. While the work at Ukkadam was under progress, the other at Nanjundapuram was stopped because of a court order. “We have approached the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for a solution and we hope for a positive decision”, he said.

Inconvenience

The Commissioner asked the people in the scheme areas to brace for some inconvenience in the form of digging of roads.The Commissioner’s announcement has brought hopes of a decade-long wait for a scheme eagerly sought for by the areas added to Coimbatore when it was made a city corporation in 1981. Only a relatively smaller part of the city that constituted the old municipality had underground sewers.

The Commissioner said works on the Pilloor Phase II drinking water scheme were also under way. Five km of pipes (out of the total 35 km) had been laid. The construction of a water treatment plant near the pumping station at Velliyankadu and a reservoir at Ramakrishnapuram near the city was under progress.

Bids had been approved for constructing the collection well and the laying of pipe till the tunnel at Pilloor. All the works cleared would be completed in 18 months, the Commissioner said.