Alandur Municipality has succeeded in providing connections to an underground sewerage system to all its residents, including the urban poor. This was achieved through a combination of effective leadership, political will, mobilizing people's participation, financial planning and forging the right partnerships.




Alandur, a selection-grade municipality, is part of Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu. It is adjacent to Chennai, at a distance of 14 km on the southern side, and forms a part of the Chennai Metropolitan Development Area (CMDA). With hardly any industrial base, the town has developed as a residential suburb of Chennai. According to the 1991 Census of India, the town has a population of 1,25,444, with 32,000 households spread over to 19.5 sq km. Approximately one-fourth of its population lives in slums.
Alandur municipality had no underground sewerage system. Households had either septic tanks or holding tanks, and the municipality was responsible for collecting the sewage periodically in tankers and disposing it off in low-lying areas. To address these problems, an underground sewerage system was designed for its current population, as well as for an estimated population of 3,00,000 in 2027, with the objectives of improving the standard of living of the residents; providing for disposal of sewage through an exclusive drainage network; avoiding recurring expenditure on septic tank cleaning; and preventing groundwater contamination.
In 1997, the Government of Tamil Nadu decided to provide a sewerage system in 12 selected major urban centers including Alandur, in the context of a World Bank Project. The Chairperson of Municipality, Mr. R. S. Bharati, took up the task of implementing this. It was decided that Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Finance Services Ltd. (TNUIFSL), the state asset management company, be approached to finance the sewerage scheme.

Considering the lack of financial and technical resources at the municipal level to undertake such an infrastructure project, it was decided by TNUIFSL that the municipality would undertake the project on a BOQ (Bill of Quantities) basis. The sewerage treatment plant (STP) would be built on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis.

The project entailed a) construction of an underground sewerage scheme with a network of sewer pipelines and manholes, of 120 kms (including 19 km main and 101 km branch lines); b) construction of a pumping house and installation of pumping machinery; and c) construction of a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 24 MLD (2 units 12 MLD each) on BOT basis to IVRCL and VATec for a period of 14 years.

The project work was carried out in two phases. In the first phase (the first two and a half years), 50% of the branch sewers, main sewers, pump house including installation of machinery, pumping main and one 12 MLD capacity sewage treatment plant, were completed and commissioned. The remaining work relating to the project was to be carried out in the next phase.

The particular challenges addressed were communication and consultations with citizens to secure their buy-in and contribution to the sewerage scheme, technical bottlenecks such as realignments necessitated by the construction of subways and MRTS, terrain conditions, and procedural delays in approvals.

To reduce the repayment burden on the local body, it was decided to collect deposits from at least 10,000 residents before calling for tenders; this was also to ensure effective participation of people in the project. The names of the depositors were displayed in public places to motivate others to pay.

Officials and non-officials, especially the chairperson of Alandur municipality, organised detailed discussions with the residents of the city and resident associations, in order to explain the project details and benefits of the sewerage project as part of assessing the willingness to pay.

Effective and timely communication ensured participation of key stakeholders and beneficiaries in the initiative. An election-style campaign was launched. Television and newspapers were roped in to motivate the public. Sanitary workers also conducted a door-to-door campaign in support of the project. To ensure the inclusion of the poor and slum residents, a provision was also made for community toilets connected to the sewerage system.

The total project cost was estimated at Rs. 34 crores with a break-up shown in the table:

Sources of Funds (Rs. in Cr.)

Source	Contribution	% of Total
TNUIDCO Loan	16	47.06
Citizen's contribution	8	23.53
TNUIFSL Loan	3	11.76
TNUIFSL Grant	4	8.82
Interest on deposits	2	5.88
TNUIDCO Grant	1	2.94
Total	34	100.00

Tariff Structure HSC Tariff Domestic Category HSC Tariff Non Domestic - Commercial and Industrial Category

Square Feet	Monthly Tariff (Rs.)	Square Feet	Monthly Tariff (Rs.)
<500	60	<500	200
500-1500	80	500-1500	400
1500-3000	100	1500-5000	600
>3000	120	>5000	1000

To recover costs of operation, maintenance and debt servicing, the municipality decided the tariff structure through a consultative process. The tariff included a one-time deposit and a monthly tariff. They are given in Table 2. On demand from the citizens, the municipality has subsequently reduced monthly charges from Rs. 150 to Rs. 110.
Of the 23,000 households who paid for the services, 8,350 households were connected in the first phase, i.e. by 2005. Nearly 500 slum households out of 7,000 had sewerage connections, and 43% of slum dwellers have opted for and paid for individual sewerage connections. In 2005, 14 community toilets were constructed to serve poor clusters. By the end of March 2008, all households had received sewerage connections.
The project is sustainable, as the cost towards maintaining the system is recovered from the users by means of monthly charges. There has been a regular flow of funds and timely repayment to financial institutions. Alandur sewerage project is an innovative initiative for sustainable delivery of urban services in the country. Inspired by the Alandur example, many urban local bodies, including Trichy, Tanjavur, Tirunelveli, and Ambattur, have initiated similar efforts for underground sewerage system.

The Alandur experience demonstrates that mobilising people’s participation for infrastructure projects is possible through effective leadership, collective efforts and transparent procedures. Political will, effective communications, transparency and partnership with community-based organisations, are the key factors for the success of the project. Inter-departmental coordination and active involvement of all stakeholders ensured successful completion and sustenance of the project.

For further details, contact:

Mr. R. S. Bharati
Municipal Chairman
Alandur Municipality, Chennai – 16