An ongoing underground drainage (UGD) project in Coimbatore’s Ward 38 has left residents without access to drinking water for over three days, sparking a wave of complaints and frustration against the city’s civic administration.
The project, being carried out jointly by the Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board and the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC), has led to damage in crucial water pipelines, cutting off supply to numerous households in Vadavalli and its surrounding areas. The disruption has once again exposed critical gaps in urban infrastructure planning, coordination, and community communication in one of Tamil Nadu’s rapidly growing urban centres. Residents argue that repeated instances of water outages during UGD-related work reflect poor inter-agency coordination and insufficient foresight in project execution. Many are calling for an overhaul of planning procedures to ensure essential services like water are not disrupted during civic works.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior water supply official confirmed that complaints were officially registered midweek and that the TWAD Board and CCMC have been alerted. “Restoration work is underway and we are working to bring back normal supply within the next two days,” the official said. However, the delay in publicly communicating the cause of disruption and the timeline for resolution has deepened public frustration. Multiple households in the affected ward report being left in the dark, with no official notifications, contingency measures, or alternative arrangements provided by the authorities. “Every time work like this is taken up, it’s the same story. Pipes get damaged, and we are left struggling for days,” a long-time resident and local welfare committee member said. “There’s no advance warning, no tankers, and no one answering our calls. This is not how a smart city should function.”
Coimbatore, one of the key cities included in India’s Smart Cities Mission, has been undergoing an infrastructure transformation over the last decade. However, the growing gap between planning and grassroots implementation has raised serious questions about the sustainability and inclusivity of such projects. Urban governance experts say this is not an isolated issue. “Infrastructure upgrades are essential, but without integrated planning that protects daily essential services, it’s the citizens who end up paying the price,” a Chennai-based urban development consultant noted. “Smart urban planning needs to embed redundancy and resilience into utility systems, particularly for water.” Coimbatore’s water infrastructure is already under strain due to rapid urbanisation, and even short-term disruptions can result in significant hardship for families, particularly during the summer months. With temperatures rising and water consumption increasing, interruptions in supply not only affect hygiene and hydration but also pose public health risks.
Local NGOs working on urban sustainability initiatives have echoed residents’ concerns, stating that the current disruption is emblematic of a larger pattern of civic negligence. “We are seeing repeated failures in ensuring uninterrupted access to water during civic works,” said the head of a local environmental advocacy group. “This raises ethical and policy concerns about whose interests are prioritised in urban development—residents or rapid infrastructure metrics?” Officials have promised to increase oversight on such projects, but with no formal response yet from senior administrative figures, including the city commissioner, residents remain sceptical. They are demanding written assurances and a permanent mechanism to prevent future supply disruptions during major works. In a city striving for low-carbon, sustainable growth, the inability to guarantee access to basic amenities like water highlights a fundamental contradiction. Clean, inclusive, and resilient cities must be built not only with concrete and pipes but with communication, empathy, and accountability.
While the restoration of water supply may provide short-term relief, the demand for long-term planning reform and transparent governance continues to gain momentum among Coimbatore’s citizens. Their message is clear: smart cities are not just about technological upgrades—they must work for the people, every day, without disruption
Ward 38 Residents Demand Action as UGD Work Cuts Off Water Supply
