SALEM: The second phase of the Underground Drainage (UGD) project in Salem, taken up by the Salem City Municipal Corporation, has been progressing slowly, raising concerns among councillors and residents alike.
According to Corporation Commissioner M Elangovan, phase-II works began in March 2024 with a planned duration of 36 months. The project aims to lay 432 km of UGD pipelines across 60 wards, but so far, only 78 km have been completed - around 18% of the total stretch.
Elangovan said that initiating work in any particular locality itself requires time and planning. The project has to be executed in a manner that minimises inconvenience to residents, which becomes difficult in many congested neighbourhoods. In several places, public resistance to excavation works has also contributed to delays, he added.
Despite the setbacks, he said the work is moving forward steadily. Most of the installation in Sooramangalam and Sivathapuram has been completed, while areas like Kondalampatti are still witnessing active pipeline work. He also noted that all four Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) in Salem, with a combined operational capacity of 98 MLD, are functional.
However, Opposition Leader in the Council N Yadavamoorthy argued that the delays were significant and pointed to deeper issues. He said that a "proper treatment setup" was yet to be established and alleged that in several locations, pipelines were being laid without properly linking them to household connections, leaving stretches incomplete despite appearing finished from the outside.
From the ruling DMK side, Ward 27 councillor K Savitha said that about 40% of the UGD work in her ward had been completed but was not yet operational. She said efforts were being made to speed up the works and ensure all home connections were properly established.
Some councillors also pointed out that the finishing stage - particularly final approvals for nearly 7 km of the end stretch - was still pending, slowing down the overall progress of the project.
Meanwhile, residents across several parts of the city continue to face difficulties. For UGD installations, entire road stretches are dug up at once, residents said, making it difficult not just to ride a vehicle but even to walk safely through these areas. In several neighbourhoods, people complain of prolonged disruption due to the unfinished trenches and uneven surfaces.
Executive Engineer V Thilaga was not available for comment.