The site improvement work under way for the Integrated Bus Terminus at Panjapur on the outskirts of the city on Tiruchi-Madurai highway, is unlikely to be completed before the start of monsoon due to the current unseasonal rain.
Since the site chosen to build an integrated bus terminus was used to absorb treated sewage from the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) for more than 25 years, it was felt that the top portion of the clay soil was of high fluidity and it was not good to raise buildings on it. Hence, the Tiruchi Corporation had decided to go in for soil-stabilisation before starting the construction work. It subsequently allotted ₹20 crore for the site-improvement work.
As per the plan, the topsoil, which is clay, will be removed on about 100 acres, out of 574 acres of land owned by the Corporation, for about two feet. The site, thereafter, will be filled up with hard gravel for a height of about two meters. The entire site will be levelled and pressurised to make the surface strong to construct building.
The civic body awarded the contract to a Pudukottai-based firm that began the site improvement work in July. It engaged several earthmovers and trucks to transport gravel from the neighbouring Guntur lake and other locations. The Corporation had asked the contractor to complete the work before the start of north-east monsoon, which usually sets in during the third week of October.
But, ever since the work started, Tiruchi and the surrounding areas continue to experience unseasonal rain at frequent intervals. This wet condition has said to have hit the gravel transportation work severely. Since the rain makes the mud roads and un-motorable and slushy, the lorries and trucks find it difficult to transport heavy loads.
According to sources, only 50% of the gravel-filling work has been completed so far. Citing the current pattern of rain, officials said it was not possible to complete the work before the start of the monsoon, which was just a month away.
Mayor M. Anbazhagan told The Hindu that the frequent unseasonal rain had slowed down the site improvement work. But it was being monitored on a daily basis and efforts would be made to complete the work as early as possible, he said.
