Work on construction of a sewage treatment plant along Panthalkudi channel near Goripalayam would be completed within 45 days, said Corporation Commissioner S. Visakan here on Thursday.
The channel, which drains into the Vaigai at Alwarpuram, is one of the major channels that pollutes the river. It carries the surplus from Sellur tank and traverses through densely populated areas of the city before emptying the muck into the Vaigai. The Panthalkudi channel has become a receptacle for household sewage and garbage. Residents who do not have underground drainage connection discharge the household waste directly into the channel.
A Corporation official said construction of the sewage treatment plant was interrupted for around six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The plant has a capacity to treat up to 2 million litres a day. It is being set up with an estimated cost of ₹3.15 crore. While ₹2.50 crore has been contributed by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited through its corporate social responsibility initiative, the rest is routed through the Corporation’s general fund.
The Corporation official said the treated water could either be discharged into the river or used for watering gardens.
“This sewage treatment plant will help in minimising the damage caused to Vaigai river because of rampant water pollution,” the Commissioner said. Underground drainage system was being established in the newly-added wards in the northern parts of the city under Smart Cities Mission. A similar proposal was being prepared for wards in the southern parts of the city, he added.
“Once all these projects are completed, there will be no discharge of sewage into the Vaigai,” Mr. Visakan said.
