Coimbatore: Residents are irked about SUEZ, the private company that has been awarded the water distribution contract, as many city roads are yet to restored after the latter dug them for laying pipelines.
Coimbatore: Residents are irked about SUEZ, the private company that has been awarded the water distribution contract, as many city roads are yet to restored after the latter dug them for laying pipelines.
Several roads in the city, especially roads in RS Puram has been battered and in a pathetic state after they were dug for laying new pipelines by SUEZ. Though refilling of the trenches were done immediately, residents allege that they were not closed properly and in some areas utility lines passing underground were left damaged.
In one such incident, a resident from Thadagam road had recorded a video alleging callousness showed by the contractors used by SUEZ for digging roads for embedding pipelines.
The resident in the video alleges that safety precautions were not followed, while laying the pipelines.
He also alleges that the workers engaged in the work are impatient and rushing through the process instead of being cautious of other utility lines that pass through.
When questioned on the allegations, a senior corporation official clarified that "Much care has been taken to address any damages to other utility lines embedded under ground. In case of any damages, a seperate team has been assigned to resolve and repair the affected utility lines, on priority."
Clarifying their stance about the widely complained issue, an official from SUEZ said "According to the terms of agreement, refilling has to be done with the excavated soil. However, to ensure neat and safe restoration, we even use fresh soil to fill the trenches and straighten them out."
"We handle repairs with utmost priority. In the recent allegation of damaging a EB line while laying pipeline, the restoration team was alerted immediately and the repair work has been carried out. In the process of laying pipelines, all necessary precautions have been taken, if any uneventful incidents occur they will be dealt immediately", he added.
The residents opine that with only few weeks left for the monsoons, the ill-restored trenches might worsen leaving the roads unmotorable.
SUEZ began their first phase of laying pipelines in RS Puram. The project is expected to end by September 2019.