Chandigarh, Oct 12: Chandigarh’s municipal corporation (MC) will have to implement its long-pending sewer network upgrade in a phased manner after the Union Territory administration turned down a ₹600-crore proposal for a citywide overhaul. The civic body has, however, been assured of increased grant-in-aid in the coming fiscal years, which officials said could be used to gradually strengthen the ageing system.
MC Commissioner Amit Kumar confirmed the UT’s decision, saying, “The administration has declined any special funding for the sewer project, but the additional grants can be utilised for phased improvement. Once our financial situation stabilises, we plan to allocate around ₹100 crore annually to this work.”
Although the municipal corporation has yet to formally submit the proposal, officials said the deteriorating condition of Chandigarh’s underground sewer network was discussed during a recent meeting with the UT finance department. The plan aims to address widespread wear and tear with large-scale de-silting, structural lining, and repairs, as the network struggles under decades of heavy use, frequent damage from utility works, and increasing urban load.
“The sewer lines, in many stretches, run beneath roads, trees, and even buildings, making repairs extremely challenging. Reduced pipe volume is causing regular bursts, foul smell, and sewage overflow on roads. During monsoon season, these problems worsen, often resulting in road cave-ins,” MC officials explained.
Chandigarh’s sewer system, first installed in 1955, was designed for a far smaller population. Over the years, the city has grown extensively, but the sewer capacity has not kept pace. “The lines have been patched multiple times, but the overall network is under severe stress,” officials noted.
Currently, the city’s 58 sectors—numbered 1 to 56, along with 61 and 63—and 22 peripheral villages are connected to the central sewerage grid. Sewage flows to treatment plants at Diggian, 3 BRD, Raipur Khurd, Raipur Kalan, Maloya, Dhanas, and Kishangarh. Alongside sewage pipelines, the city also has underground water supply, stormwater, and network cables.
To tackle the issue, the MC is considering two approaches: full replacement of the sewer network or rehabilitation of the existing system. Officials stressed that full replacement is “unfeasible due to high costs, limited space, and the possibility of years-long disruption. Even with a phased plan, shutting down the sewage network of an entire sector or lane is impossible. Extensive digging and road resurfacing would also make the project financially unviable and create major traffic disruptions.”
Instead, rehabilitation of the existing system appears more viable. “After reviewing similar projects in Delhi, we found the CIPP (Cured-In-Place Pipe) liner method—using hot water or steam—to be the most effective for strengthening old networks without full replacement,” an official said.
Officials added that the phased plan would allow the MC to gradually improve Chandigarh’s nearly seven-decade-old sewer network while avoiding massive disruptions, though long-term maintenance and sustained funding will remain critical for citywide effectiveness.
