Chennai, July 19: The Tamil Nadu government has initiated an independent environmental and social audit of 28 major water supply and underground sewerage projects being implemented across 21 urban local bodies, while also commissioning a dedicated study on manual scavenging and hazardous sewer-cleaning practices as part of its urban infrastructure reforms.
The projects are being executed under the Tamil Nadu Climate Resilient Urban Development Programme (TNCRUDP), a six-year World Bank-assisted initiative running from 2024 to 2030.
The programme, approved by the World Bank in December 2023, aims to strengthen water security, improve climate resilience and modernise urban governance across the state.
Tamil Nadu Urban Infrastructure Financial Services Ltd (TNUIFSL), the implementing agency, has invited bids to appoint an independent consultant to carry out the audit. The exercise will assess whether urban local bodies and implementing agencies have complied with the environmental and social safeguards prescribed under the programme while executing projects during 2024-25.
The audit covers four categories of infrastructure works. These include seven underground sewerage schemes involving only sewer collection networks in Salem, Thoothukudi, Karaikudi, Tiruvarur, Krishnagiri, Theni and Avadi. Another seven projects comprise underground sewerage systems with sewage treatment plants in Tiruvannamalai, Pudukkottai, Namakkal, Dharmapuri, Cuddalore, Dindigul and Kancheepuram.
The review will also cover a city-wide water supply improvement project in Kancheepuram and 13 pilot projects providing round-the-clock water supply in Avadi, Karaikudi, Pudukkottai, Tiruchy, Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Erode, Vellore, Cuddalore, Dindigul, Tambaram, Nagercoil and Rajapalayam.
The consultant will classify findings under four categories — compliance, non-compliance, best practices and areas requiring improvement. Wherever shortcomings are identified, the consultant must revisit the projects after corrective measures have been implemented and verify compliance before submitting the final report.
A key component of the assignment is a comprehensive study on manual scavenging and hazardous sewer cleaning. The study will examine the policy and legal framework governing sewer maintenance, identify gaps in implementation by urban local bodies, analyse situations that require hazardous sewer entry and investigate past incidents through field visits and consultations with officials, contractors and sanitation workers.
It will also review existing standard operating procedures, training programmes and safety practices across the sewage management chain.
The three-month assignment will begin with a preliminary compliance report within two weeks, followed by a draft report for review by implementing agencies and the World Bank before the final report is submitted.
The audit forms part of the World Bank’s Programme-for-Results financing model, which requires independent verification of commitments under the Programme Action Plan prepared after the Environmental and Social Systems Assessment.
–IANS
