Tiruchi Embraces Innovative Chemical Blasting to Conquer UGD Project Delays

Tiruchirappalli is on the cusp of a significant infrastructure breakthrough as its municipal corporation gears up to deploy an innovative solution to finally complete its ambitious Under Ground Drainage (UGD) project. After years of grappling with persistent challenges posed by hard rock strata and the complexities of urban development, the city is turning to chemical blasting – a non-explosive demolition technique – to pave the way for a faster, safer, and less disruptive project conclusion.

The extensive UGD project, which commenced in 2013 under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JnNURM) and later transitioned to the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), has been a monumental undertaking.

Designed to serve 60 wards with an impressive 1,000-kilometre network of drainage lines, it represents a crucial step towards modernizing Tiruchi's sanitation infrastructure. With a substantial investment of Rs. 421.72 crore, the project has steadily progressed, achieving an impressive 98.5% completion rate.

However, the final 1.5% has proven to be the most formidable.

Approximately 3.5 kilometres of the remaining UGD work, particularly concentrated in areas like Ward 24 (Nachimuthu Puram), is plagued by stubborn hard rock formations. Traditionally, such excavations would involve conventional rock blasting using explosives. This method, while effective, comes with a host of drawbacks: it necessitates cumbersome permissions, poses significant safety risks in densely populated urban environments, often leads to public complaints due to ground vibrations, and can cause structural damage to nearby buildings, resulting in substantial delays and cost overruns.

Recognizing these bottlenecks, the Tiruchi Corporation has made a strategic decision to embrace chemical blasting.

This cutting-edge technique utilizes a non-explosive demolition agent, typically a powder that expands significantly when mixed with water and poured into drilled holes. This expansion generates immense pressure, causing the rock to crack and fracture silently and safely, without the explosive force, noise, or vibrations associated with traditional methods.

The benefits of this approach are manifold.

Chemical blasting drastically reduces the need for extensive safety protocols and complex permission processes, streamlining the operational timeline. Critically, it eliminates ground vibrations and noise pollution, ensuring minimal disruption to residents and protecting existing structures from potential damage.

This makes it an ideal solution for the densely populated areas where the remaining UGD work is concentrated. The faster and more controlled nature of chemical blasting is expected to significantly accelerate the project's completion, finally bringing essential modern sanitation to every corner of the city.

This innovative pivot by the Tiruchi Corporation underscores a proactive and problem-solving approach to urban development.

By leveraging advanced techniques, the city is not just completing a project; it is setting a precedent for efficient, community-sensitive infrastructure delivery, ensuring that Tiruchi's foundational services are robust, modern, and built to last.