TRICHY: The Urban Local Body (ULB) has floated a tender to identify a suitable contractor to install sewer lines in parts of the city covered under phase III of the Underground Drainage System (UGDS) proposed by the city corporation for Rs 265 crores. The civic body has also floated a separate tender to construct a sewage treatment plant (STP) for 37 million litres per day (MLD) at Panchapur to treat the sewage of households to be covered under phase II of UGDS While the work on a portion of the phase II of UGDS covering 25 wards is expected to commence in a week, those for phase III are likely to be taken up in three months. Though the city has one of the best models to handle solid waste, the absence of UGDS has been pulling it backwards with water bodies including Cauvery and Uyyakondan bearing the brunt of pollution. Drainage, sullage and even sewage are let into the water bodies through storm water drains.It was to address this chronic issue that a portion of Srirangam island was interconnected with UGDS network in 2013 as part of a pan-city project covering all 65 wards in a phased manner.In November 2017, phase II of the UGDS was floated to cover 25 wards including 20 already partially covered. While the works on phase II estimated at Rs 344 crores are set to begin in a week, a tender to launch UGDS phase III at an estimated cost of Rs 265 crores was floated by ULB on Wednesday. The phase III network would cover as many as 16 wards including Khajamalai, Sundarraj Nagar, Karumandapam, E Pudur and KK Nagar.“We have planned to complete the installation of sewage lines for a distance of 328 km covering 16 wards and an exclusive STP for phase III connection at a single stretch.With tender floated, after completing the technical formalities such as scrutiny of bids, phase III works will begin in three months,” N Ravichandran, corporation commissioner told TOI. Bringing more good news to locals, the corporation has planned to commence one of the three packages of phase II in a week’s time.Since UGDS network is expanding, the civic body has also floated a separate tender to revamp the sewage treatment plant (STP) at Panchapur by installing a new STP for 37 MLD capacity. “While we initiated preliminary works for phase III of UGDS, work order for one of the packages in phase II was simultaneously issued. The phase II of UGD works would commence in a week,” the commissioner added.He urged the the public to help complete the project at the earliest through timely payment of deposit for UGD to be announced shortly.

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