Underground drainage scheme
Discharge of sewage into the Sanganur Canal is expected to stop if the entire city is provided with underground sewers.Finally, the Coimbatore Corporation seems to have come close to implementing the long-pending underground drainage scheme. Mayor R. Venkatachalam says Minister for Local Administration M.K. Stalin will launch the project here on November 12. A few other projects and appointment orders to more workers recruited to the civic body may be the other events listed for the day, the Mayor indicates.“This (drainage scheme) is a major project for the city,” says the Mayor, revealing the immense relief in the Corporation over underground sewers for a major part of the city set to become a reality. It is to be implemented at Rs.377 crore under the Central Government’s infrastructure development programme - Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission. The Central Government will meet 50 per cent of the project cost through a grant. The State Government will provide interest-free loan for 20 per cent of the project cost. The rest of the funds is to be mobilised by the Corporation.The scheme was mooted in 1998 at Rs.205 crore. It was to be funded by the World Bank through the State Government’s projects funding institutions such as the Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Limited.
Rising costs over the last nine years and the inclusion of more than 500 newly regularised layouts have put the project outlay at Rs.377 crore now.For close to eight years, the project got locked in a battle in the Corporation Council over the connection and maintenance charges that were proposed to be collected from the people.A Salem-based consultant firm also worked out the charges on the basis of the Property Tax rates and submitted these for the approval of the Council.More than 10 all-party meetings were held between 2001 and 2006 to get the approval of the Opposition parties for the drainage charges. The parties rejected the proposal saying that the people could not bear such huge costs.
Curiously, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) itself opposed the charges when its Government was in power (1996-2001).As the main Opposition (a member of the Tamil Maanila Congress, its ally, was the Mayor of Coimbatore then), the DMK halted the move for user charges by using its majority in the Council.But, the DMK itself had been divided on this issue, though the differences were not openly expressed.Every party in the Council had one section opposing the scheme on the basis of the user charges and another desperately demanding its implementation.
This Opposition continued into the next Council (2001 to 2006) when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam captured the Mayor’s post.It was then pointed out that the Councillors opposing the charges were those who were representing wards in the old municipality area that already had an underground sewer for which no charges were levied.The new scheme had said that when the other areas also got underground sewers, people in the old municipality areas also would have to pay the charges for the maintenance of the sewerage.Councillors demanding the implementation of the new scheme often pointed at this factor as the one that was holding up the project.
Now, a larger section of the Council is alive to the need for underground sewers for the entire city, though there are indications of political resistance to the user fee.The Mayor points out that the scheme is vital to ensure hygiene in the city. About 20 per cent of the 105 sq.km. city only has underground sewers.The rest is to be provided with these under the new scheme.The discharge of waste water and toilet waste into storm water drains is the fallout of the lack of underground sewers, says the Corporation.The civic body is also aware of this leads to the polluting of water bodies such as the Sanganur Canal, the Singanallur Tank and the Valankulam.If the release of sewage into the canal is stopped, the Singanallur Tank will be rid of dirt water and hyacinth. The canal brings a lot of sewage to the tank. Hyacinth, which feeds on sewage, covers the tank and hampers boating.
