Coimbatore Corporation to Accelerate UGD and Water Supply Project Implementation.

The Coimbatore Corporation has announced plans to accelerate work on the underground drainage (UGD) project and the 24x7 water supply scheme to alleviate public inconvenience caused by ongoing construction.

Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabhakaran stated that 98% of the UGD work on the Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur stretch in the South Zone has been completed. However, progress has been slow on several other stretches, including the Vellakinaru-Saravampatti stretch in the North Zone, Thudiyalur-Kovundampalayam-Veerakeralam stretch in the West Zone, and at Ondipudur in the East Zone. Only 20% of the work has been finished on the Vellakinaru-Saravampatti stretch, 25% on the Thudiyalur-Kovundampalayam-Veerakeralam stretch, and just 16% at Ondipudur.

"We have issued strict instructions to contractors to restore the roads as quickly as possible," Prabhakaran added. The corporation has also requested ₹200 crore from the state government for road relaying work, expecting ₹100 crore in the first phase, with the remaining ₹100 crore to be allocated in the next financial year. Priority will be given to relaying main roads, and the road work will be coordinated to avoid disruptions to the UGD and water supply projects.

The ongoing UGD work has left major roads, including the Kuniyamuthur-Palakkad highway, Ondipudur-Singanallur road, and Trichy Road, in poor condition. Additionally, GN Mills Road on Mettupalayam Road was dug up for the Pillur-III project.

R. Jayabalan, a regular commuter on GN Mills Road, expressed frustration, saying, "I have to travel from Thudiyalur every day via this route to my workspace at Saibaba Colony. It's been almost a year since the road was damaged."

A resident of Bharathi Nagar also raised concerns, stating that authorities have not yet repaired the damaged roads, despite multiple representations to the concerned departments.

ET