T’puram: A Rs 157.5-crore sewerage project aimed at bringing a dedicated sewerage network to Attukal and adjoining parts of the capital is facing a funding and execution logjam, putting a major infrastructure upgrade for areas without a comprehensive sewerage system at risk. The delay could also leave roads excavated for pipeline laying unrepaired for longer and affect preparations for next year’s Attukal Pongala.The project covers Attukal, Kalady and Ambalathara and comprises two packages. The Rs 66.5-crore Attukal-Kalady package, where work is under way, includes an 18km sewer network, two sewage pump houses, 830 manholes and 1,706 connections.The Rs 91-crore Attukal-Ambalathara package includes a 26.7-km sewer network, 1,329 manholes and 2,632 connections. Of the package cost, Rs 66.63 crore is to be met through a National Housing Bank (NHB) loan under the Urban Infrastructure Development Fund (UIDF), while Rs 24.37 crore is the corporation’s share.The two packages are interconnected in execution, though the Ambalathara component can be deferred as the Manacaud-Thiruvallam stretch of PWD road is under the defect liability period following recent tarring. The Attukal portion was therefore separated and tendered independently. Though the tender was opened, the work is yet to proceed as the corporation has not issued confirmation, Kerala Water Authority (KWA) officials said.KWA executive engineer Rajesh S said a claim of around Rs 85 lakh submitted by the contractor on May 15 for materials supplied for the project is pending. He also said resolving the funding, land and statutory-clearance issues was essential to maintain the project schedule and prevent further contractual complications.“The work bill for around 1km of sewer pipeline completed is yet to be prepared,” Rajesh said.The funding mechanism is at the heart of the delay. Under the UIDF loan conditions, the corporation has to initially meet eligible expenditure from its own funds and subsequently claim reimbursement through the NHB loan. Under the agreement executed with KWA, the responsibility of ensuring availability of funds rests with the corporation.The payment issue is affecting the contractor’s ability to deploy manpower and machinery already mobilised for the project. KWA has been unable to provide adequate workfront as PWD permission for road cutting is pending and land required for a pump house has not yet been made available.“The land required for the pump house has also not been made available. Unless these issues are resolved along with the funding issue, it will be difficult to maintain the planned pace of work,” Rajesh said.The project also requires land near Attukal for construction. Around Rs 6 lakh has to be released by the corporation as a deposit to the PWD for road cutting required to lay sewer pipelines.“Roads have to be dug up at several locations for laying the sewer pipelines. The amount required for road cutting has to be released by the corporation to enable the payment to PWD,” Rajesh said.The funding problem has been compounded by a lapse in the NHB loan. According to Rajesh, the loan was availed in Sept 2024 but lapsed in Feb 2026 after the required work-status report was not communicated to NHB. The loan can be renewed through a fresh application. However, the corporation came to know about the lapse only in July, and the renewal application has not yet been submitted, he said.The contractor has informed KWA that it would stop construction after Aug 15 if the pending payment is not released. KWA has written to the corporation detailing the funding, land and road-cutting issues and seeking its intervention.Corporation secretary M Shafi said the funding issue had been under consideration for around 18 months and that the matter is currently under consideration by the municipal council.The project was originally scheduled to complete major sewerage works around the Attukal temple and restore affected roads before next year’s Pongala. With roads and lanes already excavated for pipeline laying, a prolonged slowdown could delay restoration, affecting residents, businesses and traffic movement in the area.The significance of the project extends beyond road restoration. Attukal and adjoining parts of the capital currently lack a comprehensive sewerage network, and the project is intended to provide thousands of households with sewer connections and an extensive underground network across the three wards.The impact could extend beyond the three wards during Pongala, when lakhs of devotees from across the city and elsewhere converge on Attukal. Delayed road restoration could leave authorities with less time to prepare the temple surroundings and manage traffic and pedestrian movement during the festival.
