Tiruchi Corporation has launched a door-to-door campaign to raise awareness among residents and encourage them to get house service connections to the underground sewer network.

With the completion of Phase II of underground drainage (UGD) project, the civic body has joined hands with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to raise awareness among residents about the importance and benefits of getting UGD connections.

A three-member team from an agency, appointed by the ADB, conducted training workshops for councillors, self-help group members, and animators. They carried out the campaign with the support of the animators. Pamphlets highlighting the benefits of closed sewage networks, sanitation, and hygiene were distributed to the residents and stickers were stuck on the houses that gave applications for the connections.

The Corporation is providing new UGD connections to residents belonging to Wards 16, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 43, 40, 41, and 42 of Zone III. On Wednesday, about 120 connections were given, and so far, about 3,419 connections had been given to households in these wards.

“Around 100 to 150 are being provided every day. We would soon complete the work and commission the project. The door-to-door campaign was launched to receive more applications from the residents, especially from peripheral areas,” said V. Saravanan, Corporation Commissioner.

Earlier, the Corporation held camps and began receiving applications from the residents for UGD connections. They handed over filled-up forms along with receipts of house tax and UGD deposits. However, the number of applications was not on the expected lines and the response was lukewarm. Many residents, especially from the old city areas, refrained from obtaining UGD connections and are discharging the sewage into stormwater drains, a senior official said.

Phase II was launched in 2018 at a cost of ₹377.29 crore. The project fully covers 19 wards and partially covers five wards and was undertaken by two contractors. Under the phase, pipelines for a length of 287.9 km have been laid, and there are six sub-pumping stations.