Sewage overflows, leakages and road cave-ins may soon be a thing of the past, with the municipal corporation preparing a ₹600-crore city-wide plan to rehabilitate and strengthen Chandigarh’s ageing 800-km sewerage network.
Officials said the civic body was considering a large-scale de-silting and structured lining project to overhaul the underground pipeline system, crumbling under decades of silting, intrusion of tree roots, traffic pressure and frequent puncturing by cable-laying agencies.
“The sewerage 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,” said MC officials.
“In 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.
{{/usCountry}}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.
{{/usCountry}}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 city—water supply, storm water and network cables.
Rehabilitation, not replacement, more viable: MC
To address the issue, the civic body is considering two options—to replace the entire sewerage network with new pipelines or strengthen the existing network.
“Replacement of the entire sewerage system is unfeasible due to high costs, limited space and the years-long disruption such work would cause. 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.
MC turns to UT for special funding
Facing severe financial crunch, the civic body is presently stretched to its limit and is only able to pay off its committed liabilities. After a halt for nearly one-and-a-half years, the MC is finally looking to resume development works in the city, but with limited budget.
However, with a ₹600-crore estimate, it is difficult for MC to carry out the project with its own finances, forcing them to seek special funds from UT administration.
“A comprehensive survey by MC’s engineering wing has revealed that much of the existing brick-masonry pipeline is inadequate to handle present and future sewer load. It is felt that there is a need of augmenting the existing sewer line by way of CIPP method in certain sewer pipes and sewer trunk main, along with large-scale desilting operations. The approximate estimate for desilting and rehabilitation of the city’s sewer network is ₹600 crore. Given the urgency and public welfare involved, we will seek approvals and financial support from the administration at the earliest,” said municipal commissioner Amit Kumar.