COIMBATORE: The State Highways Department officials are irked by the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) digging the Saradha Mill Road to resolve the leakages in the pipeline as the former had already started road laying work in that stretch. The CCMC officials had dug up the 1.5 km stretch of Saradha Mill Road for the Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur UGD project’s pipeline installation and left it unattended. Angered by this, residents and motorists filed numerous complaints to the State Highways Department asking the authorities to fix it immediately. However, as the UGD works were delayed, the repair works also got delayed. Later, as the State Highways Department officials started carrying out the patchwork on that road, the CCMC officials again dug up the newly layered road to repair pipe leakages. This irked the State Highways Department.
A senior official from the State Highways Department Coimbatore division told TNIE, “We gave over 10 days to the CCMC officials to complete any pending or pipeline works. Only after getting a NOC (No Objection Certificate) from them and then began with the road repair works. We were about to put Bitumen and Tar (BT) and pave the road, but they started digging again citing pipeline leakage which is frustrating. Considering the people’s welfare, we too allow them to continue their work.”
When inquired about it, CCMC Commissioner M Sivaguru Prabakaran told TNIE, “A pipeline broke on that stretch and we had to fix it. I have already spoken to the State Highways Department in this regard. The drinking water pipeline under this road was laid about 40 years ago by the panchayat officials. Since they are very old, leakages are being reported frequently. We have sent a proposal to the state government demanding funds to replace the whole pipeline. Once the funds are allocated, we shall begin the works and pave a new road.”