Sewage treatment plant proposed to address wastewater flowing through Coimbatore International Airport

Coimbatore Corporation has proposed to construct a sewage treatment plant (STP) to treat wastewater flowing through a natural drain that passes through the premises of Coimbatore International Airport.

On the southern side of the airport, a section of the compound wall is fitted with iron grills to allow the flow of water from a natural drain that enters from the north after crossing Avinashi Road. However, with sewage mixing into the channel, plastic and solid waste accumulate on the grills, blocking the flow and letting only water pass through. The drain then turns east from the airport, passes through Kurumbapalayam and ends at Kolathur tank.

The untreated sewage has led to foul odour spreading across the airport and nearby residential areas, a matter that has been repeatedly raised with civic officials.

The Corporation has identified about 29 cents of land for constructing the new treatment plant. Airport officials recently inspected the site, and the location is yet to be finalised.

In a related development, Ward 23 Councillor K. Manian said that an existing STP built to treat sewage from Poonga Nagar, Brindhavan Nagar and surrounding areas is not functioning, as the land where it stood was acquired for airport expansion. Since then, untreated sewage has been stagnating on open land in the locality.

Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran said discussions are under way with the airport authorities for funding support through corporate social responsibility (CSR) to establish a 2 MLD capacity STP. “The plant will ensure that only treated water flows out of the airport channel,” he said.

He added that a separate STP costing ₹4.6 crore is being planned in Ward 23 to handle underground drainage from Poonga Nagar, Brindhavan Nagar and nearby areas. “The funds have been provided by the land acquisition authority, and tenders for the project will be floated shortly,” he said.