DHARMAPURI: The underground pipelines that had been laid across 14 wards by Dharmapuri municipality as part of its Phase II construction were damaged in Ward 31 by the ongoing railway over bridge works by the state highways connecting Bharathipuram and Vennampatti.
The project worth Rs 82.15 crores, which had begun nearly eight months ago, involves laying down 1,225 pipes underground, covering a total length of 46.5 km. Residents of Bharathipuram are enraged by the poor planning, alleged negligence, and wastage of funds due to negligence.
Speaking to TNIE, A Prabhakaran from Bharathipuram said, "For the past 8 months, the 66ft road of Bharathipuram (ward 31) has been ravaged by the UGD project, and after months of digging, the UGD pipeline was laid down. But now, the state highways department has begun construction of the Bharathipuram-Vennampatti road, and the previously laid UGD lines are being broken. While we can accept both these schemes, as it is crucial to the development of the municipality, it is unacceptable that one scheme is damaging the other. This is mainly due to the municipality's negligence in overseeing its project."
Another resident, K Sivakumar, in ward 31, said, "The roads were laid only a year ago, and it was dug out for the UGD. Then the UGD lines were dug out to accommodate the 13 pillars required for the railway over bridge and drainage construction. With the UGD lines broken, the municipality must designate more funds and start the works from the beginning. The most affected by this are the residents. The lack of coordination between the municipality and the state highways is infuriating."
N Anandhan from Bharathipuram said, "Our waterlines were broken, but they (the contractors) had fixed them. But the drainage lines to the septic tanks are broken, and we have to fix them ourselves. In the upcoming months, there are talks of clearing the electric lines. Then, there will be a risk losing electricity and water connection in the area. We urge the municipality to ensure that basic amenities like water and electricity are not disconnected for a prolonged period."
The Dharmapuri Municipality commissioner R Sekar told TNIE, "We have not received any complaint on such a situation. Our engineers would conduct an inspection and, if the UGD lines are damaged, we would issue a notice to the contractor. The damage to the UGD pipelines is unacceptable."