Tiruchi Corporation to strengthen drain network in flood-prone areas

Tiruchi Corporation has proposed constructing stormwater drains and relaying damaged road stretches in Kattur to address recurring inundation during the monsoon.

The city experienced heavy rainfall last year, which led to widespread waterlogging and exposed several vulnerable areas, particularly in wards that still lack adequate stormwater drainage infrastructure. Key areas such as Kattur, Old Palpannai, Ariyamangalam, and Tiruveumbur witnessed severe inundation.

One such stretch is Pappakurichi Main Road in Kattur, which is plagued by damaged roads and faulty drains. While the initial few metres of the road have been provided with stormwater drains, the stretch beyond remains in poor condition, riddled with potholes and marked by an uneven surface. Residents have pointed out that the inadequate drainage network and damaged road surface often result in water stagnation, causing hardship to motorists and pedestrians during heavy rainfall.

To mitigate the issue, the Corporation has planned to construct a small bridge and lay stormwater drains with covered reinforced cement concrete (RCC) slabs along the stretch at an estimated cost of ₹60 lakh. The project will be executed under the Corporation’s General Funds allocated for the construction of new stormwater drains in the Budget 2025-26.

In addition, stormwater drain projects in Wards 38 and 39 in Kattur are to be taken up, for which ₹32.75 lakh has been sanctioned from the Corporation’s General Funds. In Ward 39, new drains and a small bridge will be constructed in the low-lying areas of Balaji Nagar at a cost of ₹9.50 lakh.

While in Ward 38, faulty drains along Jinnah Street, Kamaraj Street, G.T. Naidu Street, Kumari Anandham Street, Nedunchezhiyan Street, Kalyana Sundaram Street and adjoining lanes will be demolished and reconstructed at an estimated cost of ₹16 lakh. Further, new stormwater drains will be laid along V.S. Colony in the ward at a cost of ₹7.25 lakh. The Corporation would also relay the damaged stretches in the area.

A senior Corporation official said the works were aimed at strengthening the stormwater drain network in vulnerable pockets and preventing waterlogging during the monsoon, adding that major stretches and low-lying areas would be given priority.