Ponmudy inaugurates underground drainage project work

VILLUPURAM: Higher Education Minister K. Ponmudy inaugurated the work on an underground drainage project here on Wednesday. The project, estimated to cost Rs. 27.63 crore, will cater to 10,000 households and 1,000 commercial establishments.

The funds will be mobilised as follows: through loans – Rs. 1,176 lakh, subsidy – Rs. 829 lakh and contributions of the municipality – Rs. 758 lakh. The project, for which Local Administration Minister M.K.Stalin had laid the foundation last year, will be completed within 24 months.

Mr. Ponmudy said that during the project implementation period, people would have to bear with minor inconveniences.

The project was designed with long-term perspective to meet the future demand. It would be executed in two phases: zone – 1 and zone 2: while the pumping station and draining of the sewage for zone 1 would be located at Xavier Colony and Ka.Kuppam, both the facilities for zone 2 would be set up at Erumananthangal.

The pipeline would be laid for a total distance of 86 km – 62 km in zone 1 and 24 km in zone 2 — at a depth of four to five metres.

The Tamil Nadu Housing Board Colony and the integrated Collectorate complex and the new bus stand would also be covered under the project.

Mr. Ponmudy said maintenance cost of Rs. 46 lakh a year would entail on the Villupuram Municipality.

Collector R. Palanisamy, Municipal Chairman K. Janakaraj, Municipal Commissioner J. Balasubramanian, and Executive Engineer of Tamil Nadu Water and Drainage Board Veerasamy participated.