• A major Siruvani drinking water pipeline was damaged on Friday during a State Highways road-widening project near Kalampalayam in Coimbatore.
• The damage happened near an amusement park on Siruvani Main Road while tree roots were being removed using an earthmover.
• The line is part of the Siruvani drinking water supply scheme serving Kurichi-Kuniyamuthur areas of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC).
• The road widening project on Siruvani Road is 5.2 km long, from Kalampalayam to Madampatti.
• The project aims to convert the road into a four-lane stretch with medians.
• Estimated cost: Rs 33.8 crore.
• The incident led to a dispute between the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and the State Highways Department over prior intimation and compensation.
• Residents in the affected areas faced disrupted water supply and wastage of drinking water.

• The State Highways Department has started preliminary works to widen Siruvani Main Road from Kalampalayam to Madampatti into a four-lane road.
• Project length: 5.2 km.
• Estimated cost: Rs 33.8 crore.
• Road layout: 7.5-metre tar road and 1.5-metre mud road on both sides, plus a 1.2-metre centre median.
• Ground-level bridges on the stretch will be widened by 14 metres.
• The route connects Coimbatore with Siruvani Dam in Kerala and Perur Patteeshwarar temple, and sees heavy daily traffic.
• Rising vehicle volume has led to frequent accidents, prompting the widening plan.
• DPR was prepared by the Coimbatore division of the State Highways Department and approved by the state government.
• Tenders have been floated and preliminary work has begun, including transplanting trees and shifting wires, cables and pipelines.
• Green committee approval covers felling of 105 trees and transplantation of 109 trees.
• For every tree cut, 10 saplings will be planted.
• The four-lane road will connect with the Western Bypass Project phase 1 ending at Madampatti.
• Road work is expected to start after Pongal and finish in about one year.

The 5.2-kilometre Siruvani Main Road, connecting Kalampalayam to Madampatti and linking Coimbatore with Kerala’s Siruvani Dam, is being widened into a four-lane carriageway with a central median. The road serves Perur Patteeshwarar Temple, Poondi Velliangiri Andavar Temple, Aavin Dairy Farm, Karunya University and Isha Yoga Centre, among other destinations. Rising traffic has contributed to frequent accidents.

The Tamil Nadu government sanctioned ₹33.8 crore after approving a Detailed Project Report prepared by State Highways officials in Coimbatore Division. Work began a few months ago; nearly 70% is complete. Residents report dusty conditions and sections awaiting asphalt after wet-mix surfacing. Officials cited removal of decades-old trees and the Siruvani underground water-supply pipeline as causes of delay, and said remaining work is planned for completion within about a month. Phase I of the Western Ring Road is scheduled to open next month, potentially increasing traffic on Siruvani Main Road.