COIMBATORE: The hospital management of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) has planned to completely renovate the underground drainage (UGD) and sewage systems across the entire hospital campus, with a projected cost of Rs 9.65 crore. The move comes after increasing sewage overflow issues in the hospital. The Public Works Department is set to commence the work within this month, said officials.
“Based on Chief Minister MK Stalin’s announcement, a government order was issued on July 16 for the renovation of sewage, drainage, and roads at the hospital, with an allocation of Rs 9.65 crore. The administration has prepared a plan and the Public Works Department had called for tenders in October. The tender process is expected to be completed this month, after which work will commence by the end of November,” an official said.
“We plan to renovate all the roads inside the campus, which cover approximately two km. Additionally, we will construct an underground drainage facility for the campus,” said A Nirmala, Dean of Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
Spanning over 19.40 acres, CMCH has around 20 buildings, which adds up to 3.10 lakh square feet. In addition to inpatient services, the hospital caters to more than 4,000 outpatients daily. Currently, the sewage from all buildings is partially treated before being discharged into Valankulam lake, located opposite to the hospital.
Much of the existing UGD and sewage connections are over several decades old, leading to blockages and sewage overflow in various areas. During monsoon, the campus experiences water stagnation, causing mosquito breeding. To tackle these issues, the hospital administration has developed a detailed renovation plan for the underground drainage channels.
“We have already established a Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) on the premises, which is currently treating around 200 kld (Kiloliters per day) from the new block. The STP has a capacity of 1,000 kld, and we plan to expand it to serve other blocks of the hospital. Presently, we are using a portion of the treated water for reuse within the hospital campus.
Once we repair the sewage channels, we will lay the roads and subsequently operate the STP at full capacity. Since the hospital is operational, we will implement the project in phase manner. The remaining treated water will be released through the outlet. The entire project is expected to be completed within 10 months,” an official said.