UGD - Coimbatore city's pipeline of woes
The Underground Drainage (UGD) project began 40 years ago - in 1983 - in the city's then 60 wards, covering a network of 52.3 km. In 2009, under a new phase of the scheme, wards 13, 18, 19, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 48, 55, 56, 57, and 58 were identified for expansion at ₹69.65 crore. However, work slowed after the AIADMK came to power in 2011, according to the East Zone chairman Ilakkumi Izhamselvi Karthik.
In several locations, pipelines were laid, but house service connections were not provided; in others, the work was left incomplete. Sewage treatment plants (STPs) planned at Ondipudur and Nanjundapuram also ran into legal hurdles.
The project saw a cost revision in 2024 and is now under execution by two major agencies for the Corporation.
In addition to reviving the scheme, Coimbatore Corporation is currently executing a new phase to extend UGD coverage by 1,295 km, mainly in the added areas and install four new STPs. The contracted completion date for these projects is September 2027.
Yet, the project is not on a smooth run. The prolonged execution timeline and apparent lack of coordinated planning have led to repeated digging of roads, poor-quality of re-lays, damage to utility lines, sewage backflow, and other civic issues.
In Ward 13 (near Maniakarampalayam), J.M. Basha, president of the Srinivasa Nagar Residents' Welfare Association, said that for over a year, roads had remained damaged, trenches left open, and house service connections pending. Drinking water pipelines were damaged during excavation, resulting in leaks that often took more than 10 days to locate and repair.
In Ward 92 (near Kovaipudur), a resident said that in the absence of proper sewer connections, wastewater from a few houses was discharged directly into storm water drains, creating a foul odour.
DMK councillor A. Radhakrishnan said that in localities such as Sanganoor and Ondipudur, UGD pipelines were laid more than a decade ago, but house service connections were provided only now. 'Corporation officials have no records of the old pipeline network. We face multiple issues when connections should be given to houses - there are places with no pipeline, no chamber, or clogged main lines. When connections are given, some households face sewage reversal,' he said.
For the officials, multiple field-level challenges seem to hamper re-laying works.
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