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Chandigarh administration denies ₹600-crore funding to upgrade city’s ageing sewer network
The MC has not yet formally written to the UT administration for the proposal but had discussed the deteriorating condition of the sewer system in a recent meeting with the finance department. Officials said the project aimed to include large-scale de-silting, structural lining and repair work across the city’s underground network, which is buckling under decades of wear and tear, heavy traffic load, and frequent damage caused by other utility agencies
The UT administration has turned down the municipal corporation’s (MC) proposal to upgrade the city’s ageing sewer system at a cost of ₹600 crore, compelling it to take up the project in a phased manner over the next five years.
MC commissioner Amit Kumar confirmed that the UT has declined any special funding for the project but added that the civic body has been assured of an increased grant-in-aid every fiscal. “Those additional grants can then be utilised for strengthening the sewer system, but in a phased manner,” said Kumar. He added that once the MC’s financial situation improves, the civic body plans to spend around ₹100 crore annually on the project.
The MC has not yet formally written to the UT administration for the proposal but had discussed the deteriorating condition of the sewer system in a recent meeting with the finance department. Officials said the project aimed to include large-scale de-silting, structural lining and repair work across the city’s underground network, which is buckling under decades of wear and tear, heavy traffic load, and frequent damage caused by other utility agencies.
“The sewer network in Chandigarh dates back to 1955, making it nearly 70 years old. At that time, the system was designed for a much smaller population. Over the years, the city has expanded manifold, but the capacity of sewer lines has not been upgraded accordingly. The lines have been damaged at multiple locations and, though repaired or replaced in patches, the overall system is now highly stressed,” MC officials explained.
“At many stretches, the sewer lines run under roads, trees and even buildings, making repairs extremely difficult. The reduced pipe volume is causing regular bursts, foul smell and sewage overflow onto roads. The situation worsens during the monsoon, when road cave-ins are often reported,” officials added.
Currently, the city’s 58 sectors (1 to 56, along with 61 and 63) spread across 114.5 sq km, and 22 villages in the periphery, are connected to the central sewerage grid. The sewage is directed to treatment plants at Diggian, 3 BRD, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Maloya, Dhanas and Kishangarh. Besides sewerage, three other underground pipes flow in the city—water supply, storm water and network cables.
To address the issue, the civic body is considering two options—to replace the entire sewer network with new pipelines or strengthen the existing network.
“Replacement of the entire sewer system is unfeasible due to high costs, limited space and the possibility of years-long disruption. Even with a phased execution plan, we can’t shut down the sewage network of the entire sector or lane. Also, digging of roads and then carpeting will not only make the project financially unviable, but will also cause massive traffic destruction,” officials said.
“The second option is rehabilitation of the existing system, which is more viable. After reviewing similar projects in Delhi, we found that the CIPP (Cured-In-Place Pipe) liner method, using hot water or steam, is the most effective for strengthening old networks without full replacement,” an official explained.
