On the 11-acre plot in Ondipudur, engineers from Gharpure Engineering and Constructions (P) Limited, Pune, are busy constructing a sewage treatment plant (STP) for the Coimbatore Corporation.
The STP that has a capacity to treat 60-million-litre sewage a day will treat sewage from the north-eastern and eastern parts of the city and release the same into River Noyyal, which flows at no distance from the plot.
Even as the work is in progress at Ondipudur – the site engineers say they will complete the work ahead of schedule – the Nanjundapuram STP site stands in contrast.
The Corporation is unable to start the work as residents near the proposed site have moved the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribual, which is hearing the case.
According to sources, the case came up for hearing a couple of days ago but the Tribunal had to postpone the hearing as the Corporation’s counsel could not be present for the hearing.
At the Ondipudur STP, the engineering company, which has won the contract for the project, has made progress in constructing the two sequential batch reactors, blower room, chlorine tank and many other components of the STP.
The engineers say that at the entry point, the plant will filter wastes measuring 20 mm and at the primary tank, the plant will filter wastes measuring six mm particles. The plant will take the sewage to the first sequential batch reactor and then to the second, from there to the clear water tank, chlorine contract tank and then to the River.
At the time of awarding the work around eight months ago, the Corporation fixed a deadline of 18 months. With 10 months to go, the engineering company will finish the work well within the deadline.
On the drainage construction front, the Corporation has completed one of the three packages, was on the verge of completing another package and had made progress in the third package, says sources.
As against the target of laying pipelines for 297 km, the contractor had laid pipelines for 125 km.
And, in the first package, the Corporation is waiting for progress in the road-over bridge project at Textool. Once the civic body gets the design, it will proceed with the sewerage linking work.
Even if the Corporation completes the sewerage work and the engineering company the STP work, the entire project will not become operation unless there is progress in the Nanjundapuram STP work. Sources in the Corporation say they are trying their best to convince the Green Tribunal that the civic body has followed the rules in deciding on the location.
UkkadamThe Corporation is executing the underground drainage project by laying 582 km sewer lines and constructing three STPs at Rs. 113 crore. The third STP is up and functioning in Ukkadam.
