Five years after work began for the construction of four modern sewage treatment plants (STPs), work is yet to be completed as the installed machineries have rusted turning it obsolete.
Work began for the construction of four STPs at a total cost of Rs. 61.43 crore on Design, Build, Own, Operate and Transfer (DBOPT) basis in October 2010 and was proposed to be completed in October 2012. However, after five years, work was yet to be completed in Vellakuttai (13 mld), Mankuttai (35 mld), Vandipet (44 mld), and at Anaimedu (6 mld).
Though officials claim that work was completed in Vellakuttai and Mankuttai and ready for trial run, work is still in progress. Sewer lines from all the 60 wards are to be connected to the respective STPs located in four areas for sewage treatment. Howev er, the delay in implementing the UGSS is keeping the installed machines idle for many years now. Sources said that nearly 40 per cent of the UGSS is yet to be completed and only after that, trial run could begin in the STPs. The trial run is expected to be for six months after which the private operator would maintain the plant for five years and hand over to the corporation. However, the plants are not expected to function in the next one year.
