New technology used to save Shahpura Lake from pollution:370-metre sewage line laid without digging roads; 23 trees saved

For the first time in the capital, a 370-meter-long sewage line was laid using underground drilling technology without digging up the road. The special thing was that the entire work was completed in 25 days. Neither did the road have to be dug, nor was there a traffic jam, nor did 23 trees older than 30 years have to be cut. The Municipal Corporation has laid this line from the Administration Academy to the Building Permission Branch using inclined drilling technology. The old sewage line passes through Kotra and Harshvardhan Nagar to the Hotel Management Institute and a 50-year-old pump house near 1100 Quarters. Due to the dilapidated condition of the line, sewage water was seeping out and polluting Shahpura Lake. It was necessary to lay a new line, but lake water, culverts, cables, and 23 large trees were obstacles in the way. If normal excavation had been done, all the trees would have had to be cut, along with breaking the road. Municipal Commissioner Sanskriti Jain stated that it was a challenging project. Due to the lake and trees, normal excavation was not possible. In the future, too, this technology will be prioritized in densely populated areas and areas of environmental protection. Machine kept searching for path underground with sensors In-charge Executive Engineer R.K. Trivedi informed that the machine has sensors at the front. These provide information about the depth underground and obstacles ahead. The machine is operated remotely from above. This eliminates the need to dig up the road. Electricity and water lines also remain safe. Expensive technology, but roads and trees saved This technology is three times more expensive than conventional excavation. About ₹5.5 lakh were spent to lay a 370-meter line. According to officials, conventional excavation would have cost less, but the road would have had to be rebuilt. Traffic would have been affected. 23 trees would have had to be cut. In such a scenario, the total cost would have been almost the same. Technology to also be used in densely populated areas The corporation will now lay sewage lines using the same technology in densely populated areas like Mata Mandir and Char Imli, to avoid problems from excavation, dust, and traffic jams.