The Tiruchi Corporation has opened what it calls the city’s first ‘smart road’ on Veereshwaram Keezha Street in Srirangam.
The work to lay the concrete road with rainwater harvesting pits and underground drainage system began in June and was completed in two months, say officials.
The 280-metre long stretch houses 100 residences. All houses have been fitted with pipelines for UGD, drinking water and rainwater. Each pipeline is connected systematically and labelled. The road is laid in such a way that for every 50 feet distance, there is a duct. If there is any maintenance work or a new connection has to be fitted, ducts can be opened without having to dig and damage the road, said R. Balamurugan, junior engineer, Tiruchi Corporation.
Another feature is that four rainwater harvesting pits, at a depth of 20 feet, have been created below ground level to help recharge groundwater. Stormwater drains allow water to run off into canals or other waterbodies. With these, the groundwater will be recharged as the water running off from the road will be directed into filters which will thereby flow into these RWH pits, he said.
The road, which is 280 metres long and five to eight metre wide, cost ₹ 48 lakh. Similar plans are under way for other streets in the locality. Soon, all roads in the city will have all these features, said N. Ravichandran, Corporation Commissioner.
