COIMBATORE: The completion of the long-pending Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur underground drainage (UGD) project in Coimbatore has hit another roadblock after the Tamil Nadu government declined to approve additional funds sought by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) for House Service Connections (HSCs).
The funding refusal is expected to further delay the commissioning of the project, which has already overshot its original deadline by several years.
The UGD project, covering wards 87 to 100, is being implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 591.14 crore with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board is executing the project on behalf of the CCMC. Though work began in 2018 and was scheduled for completion by 2021, the project suffered major delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and a series of administrative and technical hurdles.
According to officials, nearly 99% of the project work has now been completed. Major components such as sewer pipelines, machine holes, pumping stations, lifting stations and the 30.5 million litres per day (MLD) sewage treatment plant (STP) at Vellalore have been fully finished. However, the crucial HSC work, connecting individual houses to the main sewer lines, remains incomplete, preventing the project from being fully commissioned.
The project has faced several setbacks in the past, including prolonged delays in obtaining permission from Southern Railway to lay UGD pipelines across railway tracks near Podanur. The technically challenging task of installing pipelines both above and below the tracks took considerable time, slowing overall progress. After overcoming that obstacle, officials now find themselves grappling with a financial dispute over HSC installations.
Sources said the original project scope specified that the contractor would interlink individual household septic tanks to the main sewer line at an average distance of six metres. However, in many cases, septic tanks are located at the rear of buildings, significantly increasing the distance from the main pipeline. The contractor has claimed that the additional length of pipelines required has resulted in substantial financial losses and has demanded extra payment to continue the HSC work.
Confirming this, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran told TNIE that the civic body had sought additional funds to resolve the issue. "As some houses have septic tanks at the back of buildings, the distance exceeds the average six metres marked by officials. The contractor has claimed losses due to the additional pipeline lengths. Many residents are also not opting to install the connections on their own. To complete the project at the earliest, we sent a proposal to the government seeking additional funds," he said.
However, the State government has turned down the proposal, citing concerns that approving such demands could set a precedent, leading other contractors to seek similar revisions. "We are trying to sort out the issue and finish the project as early as possible," the Commissioner added.
Speaking to TNIE, a senior TWAD Board official said that of the total 41,316 HSCs planned under the project, only 7,435 connections have been provided so far. Currently, about 2.9 MLD of sewage from these connections is being treated at the Vellalore STP. He added that a revised estimate seeking Rs 52.92 cr for additional pipeline installations had been submitted to the CCMC, and officials remain hopeful of securing funds to complete the remaining works soon.