Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Virtually Launches Major Coimbatore Drainage Project
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday inaugurated the significant Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur underground drainage (UGD) project in Coimbatore through a videoconference. This critical infrastructure development, completed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme, represents a substantial investment of Rs 597.14 crore aimed at modernizing the city's sanitation systems.
Project Scope and Long-Term Design
The ambitious UGD project encompasses 14 wards (numbers 87 to 100) within the Coimbatore Corporation's south zone. It is engineered to provide an impressive 69,688 house service connections, fundamentally upgrading wastewater management for the local population. The project has been meticulously designed with a 30-year operational horizon, commencing from 2020.
Projections indicate that by the year 2035, the system will need to handle a wastewater volume of 40.26 million litres per day (MLD) for an estimated population of 3.92 lakh people. Looking further ahead to 2050, the anticipated population of 5.17 lakh is expected to generate approximately 53.07 MLD of wastewater, for which the infrastructure has been planned.
Project Timeline and Implementation Challenges
The journey of this project began with an initial administrative sanction of Rs 449 crores issued in October 2017. A revised administrative sanction, increasing the estimate to Rs 591.14 crores, was granted in February 2019 to accommodate project needs. Physical work commenced with the laying of sewer pipelines in 2018, followed by the construction of a dedicated sewage treatment plant (STP) at the Vellalore dumpyard in 2019.
While the original contract stipulated a completion date of December 2023, the project faced unavoidable delays. These were primarily attributed to the widespread disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, which impacted construction timelines across the sector.
Infrastructure Details and Current Status
A senior corporation officer provided detailed insights into the project's execution. To date, the corporation has successfully laid an extensive network of sewer pipelines stretching 390.19 kilometres. The scheme's architecture is comprehensive, divided into 13 distinct sewerage zones.
Key infrastructure components include:
- Installation of nearly 16,200 machine holes for maintenance access.
- Establishment of 19 lift stations and 11 pumping stations to facilitate sewage movement.
- A central Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) at Vellalore with a capacity of 30.5 MLD, utilizing the advanced sequential batch reactors treatment method.
The operational flow involves sewage collected at the various pumping stations being conveyed to the Vellalore STP for processing. Significant progress has already been made, with over 40,000 house service connections provided to residents so far.
Restoration and Urban Redevelopment
In addition to the underground works, the corporation has undertaken substantial restoration efforts above ground. Approximately 330 kilometres of roads that were excavated for pipeline installation have been fully restored and relaid, minimizing long-term disruption and improving surface infrastructure for the community.
This project marks a major step forward in Coimbatore's urban development, addressing essential public health and environmental concerns while building capacity for future population growth.
