Workers engaged in cleaning manholes in Ward 39 in Tiruchi
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The Tiruchi Corporation has initiated work to partially commission Phase II of the underground drainage (UGD) project, seven years after the commencement of work.
Initially, Phase II will be commissioned in Ward 39 of Zone 3, covering Win Nagar. Around 1,400 connections are planned, which will be gradually increased. The sewage collected from the area will be pumped to the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Keezha Kalkandarkottai and a trial run has been completed.
Pipelines were laid for about 16.80 km, and 635 manholes have been installed in the area. The erection of pumps to push the sewage to the STP has been completed. At present, manholes are being cleaned of rainwater, gravel and silt to prevent clogging. So far, 512 manholes have been cleared and work on the remaining manholes is under way.
“About 100 workers are engaged to expedite the cleaning process. The pending work will be completed, and it will be commissioned within a week,” said V. Saravanan, Corporation Commissioner.
The phase was launched in 2018 and is supposed to be completed within four years. However, various challenges delayed the project. The ₹377.29-crore UGD project fully covers 19 wards and partially covers five wards.
Under the phase, pipelines for a length of 287.9 km have been laid and a total of 36,469 service connections have been given to houses and commercial properties from the newly installed UGD chambers. There are six sub-pumping stations in Phase II and all works have been completed.
Officials said the new STP will employ a sequential batch reactor (SBR) technology to treat the wastewater. The treated water from the plant will be discharged into the Uyyakondan canal after conforming to the quality standards set by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
Published – March 06, 2025 06:18 pm IST
