Councillors raise concerns over UGD delays, damaged roads in Tiruchi council meeting

Delay in relaying damaged roads, completing underground drainage (UGD) works, and sewage overflow dominated the Tiruchi Corporation Council meeting held on Wednesday.

Chairing the meeting, Mayor M. Anbazhagan said around ₹4,500 crore had been spent on infrastructure projects, including UGD, storm water drains, drinking water supply, and road works across the city. He said the 100 million litres per day sewage treatment plant being constructed at Panjapur would be completed soon and commissioned by August.

Several councillors raised concerns over roads dug up for UGD works remaining unrestored for long periods. They also pointed out that in some areas, the works had been halted midway without completion. Khajamalai Vijay urged the Mayor to undertake chemical blasting in his ward to facilitate long-pending UGD works. Councillor K. Ambikapathy said Phase IV UGD works had not yet been taken up in parts of his ward, particularly in Reddy Nagar.

They complained that several recently laid roads had been damaged during recent rains and sought immediate restoration. Councillor K. Subha of Ward 62 urged the Corporation to undertake patchwork on Ramachandra Nagar Main Road, which she said had suffered extensive damage. She noted that the stretch had witnessed increased traffic following the closure of the Koraiyar bridge.

O. Neelamegam of Ward 42 said sewage water was overflowing onto roads in Mahalakshmi Nagar and Dhanalakshmi Nagar, posing a health hazard to residents. He alleged that improper maintenance of the lifting station in Vin Nagar, after the contractor backed out of the work, had worsened the problem. Roads in Amman Nagar also remained damaged, he added.

Councillors also highlighted the shortage of manpower for stormwater drain cleaning and stressed the need to prevent sewage from households mixing with drains that eventually discharge into canals.

K. Suresh Kumar of ward 23 said storm water drain projects sanctioned during 2024-25 were only now being implemented, while projects allotted for 2025-26 and 2026-27 were getting delayed. He urged the Corporation to sanction funds and expedite the projects.

The councillors also stressed the need for higher compound walls, wire fencing and CCTV surveillance at Corporation schools and multi-purpose ward offices following incidents of theft. They cited recent thefts of computers, electrical wires and other items from the Corporation school at Airport and the multi-purpose ward office at Edamalaipatti Pudur.

LIC K. Sankar of ward 20 raised the issue of alleged overcharging of the solid waste management tax from residents. Corporation Commissioner L. Madhubalan said the issue had been resolved, and residents facing grievances could approach the Corporation for redressal.