Houses in eight wards of Tiruchi Corporation to get UGD connection soon

The Tiruchi City Corporation plans to start the trial run of a portion of the phase-II underground drainage (UGD) scheme in October

The Tiruchi City Corporation plans to start the trial run of a portion of the phase-II underground drainage (UGD) scheme in October.

For the speedy completion of work, the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration divided the project into three packages. They were awarded to three different contractors one after another. Construction work of one of the packages began in June 2018. Other two contractors started their respective work subsequently under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.

After a long delay, the project, estimated at ₹377 crore, is said to have reached its last stage of construction. Some inter-connection work and work on a few road crossings are pending. The work is expected to be completed within a few weeks.

There are six sub-pumping stations in the phase-II UGD scheme. Of them, the officials say that all works of third and fourth sub-pumping stations had been completed. Hence, the officials had decided to get applications from the residents belonging to Ward Nos. 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 42, 43, and 44 for the UGD connections.

Corporation Commissioner S. Saravanan told The Hindu that more than 10,000 UGD connections could be given in the third and fourth sub-pumping stations alone. A special camp would be held at Singaram Mahal in Kattur on Saturday. The residents could submit the filled up forms along with the receipts of house tax and the UGD deposit, if any.

He said that UGD connections would be given to the households concerned immediately. It was estimated that the civic body would receive 6,000 to 7,000 applications within a week. It had been decided to carry out a trial run of the UGD network related to the third and fourth sub-pumping stations. The trial run would continue for two months. It would reveal the efficacy of the system. Some teething issues could emerge here and there. They would be attended during the trial run, Mr. Saravanan added.

The Commissioner said the pending work in the other sub-pumping stations would be carried out simultaneously. Once they were completed, the coverage of the trial run would be extended to other areas as well.