The pipeline installation project jointly undertaken by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and Southern Railways, in coordination with the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC), is now in its final stages. The project involves laying pipelines for the Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur drinking water scheme and the underground drainage (UGD) system across the Podanur–Pollachi railway tracks.

To support this infrastructure, authorities have begun erecting an iron bridge over the tracks. The UGD project, covering Wards 87 to 100 in the city, is being implemented at a cost of approximately Rs 5.91 billion, with funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Originally scheduled for completion in 2021, the works were delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related issues, but commissioning is now expected to begin in June.

A senior TWAD Board official stated that delays in securing approvals from Southern Railways had affected the timeline for the iron bridge installation. “The railway’s delay in approving the bridge near Podanur impacted overall progress. Nevertheless, several UGD connections before the tracks have already been commissioned using the 3 MLD Sewage Treatment Plant,” the official noted.

The remaining bridge and pipeline works are anticipated to be completed by 20 May. The entire UGD project is now on track for final commissioning by August.

CCMC Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran, along with councillors and officials from TWAD, Southern Railways, and CCMC, recently inspected the site. Speaking to local media, the Commissioner stated, “Approximately 98 per cent of the Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur UGD project is complete. The bridge works will be done in three to four days, followed by final pipeline installation. All work across the railway line will be completed by 20 May, and the entire project will be concluded by July.”