Date:16/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/08/16/stories/2008081655830100.htm

Front Page

3,000 sewer connections given

Special Correspondent

TIRUCHI: Tiruchi Corporation has started linking households to the newly commissioned underground sewer system.

Though the Corporation had previously planned to outsource the job to contractors, civic officials had second thoughts as it could have led to irregularities.

The sewer system, executed under the National River Conservation Programme, was commissioned recently and linking the households at the earliest was vital to keep the pumping stations operational. It can provide 23,775 connections.

Commissioner T.T.Balsamy told The Hindu that Junior Engineers of the Corporation had been entrusted with the task of coordinating the work in their areas.

“Each Junior Engineer has been assigned with the task of providing at least 100 connections a week. Residents, including those who had paid the deposits, could approach the JEs,” Mr.Balsamy said.

Corporation officials would provide estimates for the connections. In the past few days, about 3,000 connections had been provided, the official said. The Corporation is keen that the sewer system is fully utilised. For, the system functional in the erstwhile municipal limits had long remained under-utilised. Though it could take 22,000 house connections, only 19,000 were linked. This had created problems as many households continued to let out their sewage into open drains. Such households would also be linked now.

Meanwhile, the project formulation division of Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage Board is preparing a project report for extending the sewer system to the omitted areas in the city and suburbs.