Having shelved its plan to go in for micro tunnelling to lay underground sewer lines around the ramparts of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple in Srirangam, the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation has decided to lay the sewer lines using conventional methods along two more stretches where the temple ramparts had been renovated already.
The corporation had previously planned to lay the sewer lines, as part of an underground drainage scheme for the omitted areas sanctioned by the government, using micro tunnelling technology in immediate surroundings of the temple ramparts.
The special provision was incorporated to provide the underground sewer line in Chithra, Uthira Veedhis, and Adayavalanjan in Srirangam as the network has to run across narrow strips of land between the rear side of houses and the ramparts of the temple.
However, after a technical study by the Commissionerate of Municipal Administration and experts from the National Institute of Technology, it was felt that it would be very difficult to execute the project as the vibration that would be caused by micro tunnelling could possibly damage the ramparts.
Subsequently, the corporation had decided to provide the sewer lines under conventional method for a distance of about 2.8 km along the ramparts and already 1.4 km had been covered.
On Wednesday, the Corporation Council approved the execution of the work on two stretches – between Sathara Street and Valluvar Street for a distance of about 700 metres at a cost of Rs. 44 lakh and between Keezha Adayavalanjan Street and VOC Street for a stretch of about 570 metres at a cost of Rs. 40 lakh. Sources in the corporation said the high density polyethylene (HDPE) drums would be placed underground instead of conventional manholes on these stretches as it would be difficult to construct conventional manholes using concrete. The lines would be linked to the manholes on the main roads.
The remaining areas along the ramparts would be provided as and when the renovation works were completed.
The State government had sanctioned the extension of the underground drainage scheme for the omitted areas in Srirangam under phase I of expansion of the sewer system in the city.
Under this phase, residential colonies spread over a radius of 10.53 sq km. in Srirangam and Thiruvanaikovil areas were being brought under the sewer network.
One between Sathara Street and Valluvar Street for a distance of about 700 metres
Another between Keezha Adayavalanjan Street and VOC Street for a stretch of about 570 metres
HDPE drums to be placed underground instead of manholes