Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur UGD project to be fully commissioned by July
for the Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur underground drainage (UGD) project has reached its final leg, the project is expected to be fully commissioned by July. While work on the Rs591 crore project started in 2018, it missed the 2021 deadline owing to the Covid-19 pandemic and delayed approval from the railway department for laying the pipeline across the Podanur-Pollachi railway line.According to an official source, work on laying the pipeline across the railway line was pending for long, prompting authorities to commission the project until the railway line.
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"We had to lay the pipeline for 300 meters across the Podanur-Pollachi railway line. We have laid the pipeline for 200 metres and now just 100 metres is left. Work on both the water supply and UGD pipelines is being carried out simultaneously in collaboration with the railways, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and the city corporation," the source said. The railways is also constructing an iron rail over-bridge and an underground box culvert to support the pipeline work. Commenting on the project progress, a
official said, "Work on the box culvert and over-bridge is pending only by another 50 meters and 25 metres, respectively.
Once all these are completed, the project is ready to go. However, house service connections will begin only after laying the pipeline. Two of the four pumping stations are already commissioned. Now, the focus is on integrating the connections from the remaining two pumping stations on Chatram Street and at Chinna Sudugadu.
"When contacted, corporation commissioner M Sivaguru Prabhakaran said the pipeline laying work on the railway crossing section would be completed by May 20. "After that, we will proceed with house service connections, which will take another two and half months. The total target is 42,000 house service connections, of which 7,500 have already been completed. The total processing capacity of the project is 10 million litres per day."
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