The Tiruchi City Corporation (TCC) has floated tenders for the second phase of the underground drainage system.

The
much-awaited project is aimed at extending the sewer lines to uncovered
areas in some 25 wards in the city. The project estimated to cost Rs.
344 crore will be implemented under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation
and Urban Transformation (AMRUT). While the project will cover five
wards fully, 20 others, which were omitted during the first phase of the
project, will be partially covered.

Commissioner-cum-Special
Officer, Tiruchi Corporation, N. Ravichandran toldThe Hinduthat tenders
had been invited for the second phase and January 22 had been fixed as
the the deadline for sale of tender documents and January 23 as the last
date for submission of tenders. The applications would be opened on the
same day.

Out of the estimated Rs. 344 crore, the Centre would
contribute 50% of the project cost, the State 30% and the Tiruchi
Corporation would bear the remaining 20%, he said.

According to
sources, wards 28, 29, 30, 61 and 62 will be fully covered in the second
phase of the UGD project and wards 7-9, 12-15, 21, 27, 31, 46, 52-54,
57-60 and 63-65 partially covered. Wards in Ariyamangalam, Kattur and
Thiruverumbur are among those selected under the project.

As per
the plan, sewer lines will be laid for a distance of 319 km and pumping
mains for 22 km. It will enable the civic body to provide 43,147
individual connections.

A site at Keezha Kalkandarkottai has been
identified for establishing the sewage treatment plant. It is expected
to take at least three to four years to complete the second phase of the
sewerage collection system.

A senior official of the Corporation
said about 35 to 40% of Tiruchi had already been covered by the
underground drainage project. Most parts of erstwhile Tiruchi
Municipality and Srirangam Municipality had UGD infrastructure. The
second phase would cover about 30% of the extended areas of the city.
The remaining areas would be covered in the third phase of UGD project.