DEMAND NO. 33 MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION AND WATER SUPPLY DEPARTMENT ( 2004-2005) PREAMBLE The increase in the urban population in the State has placed tremendous responsibility on the Government to provide civic services of a high order so as to maintain and improve the quality of urban life. Apart from planning the growth of the urban centers, this Government is taking steps to arrest the degradation of urban environment due to the increasing pressure of the population so that the urban areas do not degenerate into urban slums. The higher expectations of the people in the urban areas is an added dimension of the challenge. Provision of a clear urban environment and maintaining public health in the urban areas call for an integrated approach in the provision of core civic services. In this direction, this Government is committed to increase the investment in the urban sector and is taking effective steps by implementing various schemes. The Department of Municipal Administration and Water Supply is responsible for coordinating the activities of various organizations and agencies in the planning, execution and maintenance of measures to provide improved infrastructure and services in the urban areas of the State. The Goal of the Department would be to enhance quality and dignity of life by:- INCREASING URBAN AMENITIES & REDUCING URBAN POVERTY 1. MUNICIPAL ADMINISTRATION 1. Tamil Nadu has a total population of 621.08 lakhs (2001) and occupies sixth rank in size with a share of 6.1 per cent in total population of the country, The urban population in the State consists of 272.41 lakhs with a share of 43.9 per cent of total state population and Tamil Nadu is one of the highly urbanised States in India, During the decade 1991-2001, the growth rate of urban population has been 42.8% as compared to 19.5% during the decade 1981-91. 2. Until 14.6.2004, there were 6 Corporations, 102 Municipalities and 611 Town Panchayats in the State. The 611 Town Panchayats were providing basic amenities to a population of about 1 Crore. Most of the Town Panchayats were financially very weak and rural in character. To improve the financial position of the Town Panchayats by enabling them to avail central and other funds ear marked for the rural development sector, Government decided that the Town Panchayats with population less than 30,000 be reclassified as Village Panchayats. Accordingly, out of the 611 Town Panchayats in the State 566 Town Panchayats were reclassified as Village Panchayats with effect from 14.6.2004. The nomenclature of the balance 45 Town Panchayats was also changed as "Third Grade Municipality" with effect from 14.6.2004. The Tamil Nadu District Municipalities Act, 1920 has been amended accordingly. 3. Subsequently, four reclassified Village Panchayats which have population of more than 30,000 as per 2001 census were upgraded as Third Grade Municipalities with effect from 5.7.2004. As such there are 49 Third Grade Municipalities (erstwhile Town Panchayats) in this State as on date. The Government will undertake appropriate measures to improve the basic civic infrastructure and quality of life in these Municipalities. The grade wise classification of Municipalities in the State is as follows: Sl.No. Grade No. of Municipalities 1 Special Grade 13 2 Selection Grade 28 3 I Grade 36 4 II Grade 25 5 III Grade 49 Total 151 Vision Document 4. During the past 10 years, the State has undertaken many major reforms to improve the services rendered by the Urban Local Bodies to achieve better quality of service and good governance. The Second State Finance Commission (2001) has assessed the requirement of funds for covering the deficiency in core sector for the years 2002-2007 as in the Table below: (Rs. in crores) Service Corporat Municip Town Total ion alities Panchay ats Water 506.20 673.38 1409.41 2588.99 Supply Sewerage/ 409.34 391.28 41.67 842.29 Sanitation Roads 310.81 204.37 406.51 921.69 Storm 747.94 1101.63 684.47 2534.04 Water Drains 1 Street 43.19 43.58 125.50 212.27 lighting Solid 115.95 33.75 20.48 170.18 Waste Managem ent Others 341.68 231.03 282.91 855.62 Total 2475.11 2679.02 2970.95 8125.08 Similarly, the O&M requirement in major sectors has also been assessed by the Second State Finance Commission for the years 2002-2007 as in the Table below: (Rs. in crores) Service Corporat Municip Town Total ion alities Panchay ats General 366.27 374.28 206.88 947.43 Administra tion Road 761.47 329.75 123.01 1214.23 works PH/Conse 264.02 202.80 133.50 600.32 rvancy Sanitation/ 179.96 51.81 -- 231.77 Drains Street 271.90 221.70 210.89 704.49 lighting Water 218.40 289.27 239.96 747.63 Miscellane 97.36 82.34 153.41 333.11 ous Addl. O&M 122.73 107.55 144.94 375.22 for new schemes Town 4.64 3.65 -- 8.29 Planning Education 61.91 14.64 -- 76.55 Total 2348.66 1677.79 1212.59 5239.04 2 5. A Vision document has been prepared for the Municipalities and Corporations of the State for next 5 years taking into account the above parameters. The Vision is to improve the quality of life in the urban areas by ensuring: (i) Economic sustainability (ii) Consistent and reliable services (iii) Excelling in citizens satisfaction The thrust shall be on: (i) Efficient management of Solid Waste (ii) Best education at affordable cost (iii) Cost-effective Health Care (iv) Safe and adequate water (v) Better Utilities (vi) Creation of good environment – greeneries in cities (vii) Better roads and safety 6. The Vision Document includes all the core functions included in the statutory provisions and also the peripheral functions of the Urban Local Bodies. However, keeping in view the huge requirements of funds, the programme is divided into two Phases. Phase-I will focus on the sectors of immediate attention like:- (i) Solid Waste Management (ii) Water Supply (iii) Street Lights (iv) Education and computer aided education (v) Better Health Care delivery (vi) Improvement of bus stands and bus shelters (vii) Market places, etc. 7. Phase-I is time bound and will be completed before March, 2006, while Phase-II, which includes long gestation projects will be started within this period, but execution of which will be spread over the next five years. The total plan is for a sum of Rs.4554.65 crores and the outlay for the Phase-I will be Rs. 2351.14 crores. The approaches to the execution of the plan will focus on public- private partnership, transparency and social audit. The funding for the Vision Plan shall be met from the following sources:- (a) Own funds (b) Government Grants (c) Borrowal from funding agencies (d) Public contribution and sponsorship. (e) Devolution Funds 8. Work on preparation of Detailed Project Reports and preparation of estimates has already started. Once the Plan is launched, it will integrate with the on-going schemes of Corporations and Municipalities. Apart from this, the Municipalities and Corporations are toning up their administration by launching:- (i) Improved citizens' charter (ii) Transparency in Governance (iii) Launching of web-site – Customer Redressal System and (iv) IEC activities on Health and Sanitation Solid Waste Management 9. In pursuance of the Supreme Court Judgment, the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forests formulated and enacted the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules 2000 in exercise of the powers conferred by the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 of Government of India. The SWM rules 2000 stipulated, among other things, certain compliance criteria. 3 The above Rules also made Municipal authorities responsible for complying with these Rules and Regulations within the prescribed time frames. 10. The Hon'ble Chief Minister's 15 Point Programme lays clear emphasis on improving environment. The average per capita waste generated in urban areas ranges from 300gms - 700gms. The average waste collected by Urban Local Bodies per day is between 9000 - 10000 MT. In Municipalities, out of 3392 wards, segregation of garbage at source is followed in 2314 wards and door to door collection of garbage is followed in 2900 wards. The target is to achieve 100% source segregation, disposal of garbage in scientific manner and make the towns garbage-free. Special efforts have also been taken to clear the accumulated garbages in the bus stands, markets and other important places. 11. The Urban Local Bodies face problems ranging from non-availability of required staff strength, fleet inadequacy, lack of modernization, lack of suitable compost sites, labour problems etc. in handling the solid waste and the waste collection efficiency ranges between 60% - 70%. The Government has laid emphasis on privatization to take care of these problems. The privatization of Solid Waste Management is slowly gaining momentum. 12. Considering the importance of land which is required for setting up of compost yards and knowing that almost all the ULBs are not financially sound, the Government have sanctioned Rs.3.25crores to 49 Municipalities for purchase of land. So far, 12 Municipalities have purchased land for compost yard and similar activities are under progress in other Municipalities. 13. During 2004-05 an assistance of Rs.150 lakhs under Part-II scheme will be given to 40 Municipalities as 25% grant for purchase of land. 14. To improve the existing infrastructure facilities under solid waste management, Rs.448 lakhs has been sanctioned to 62 Municipalities and Rs.408 lakhs to 5 Corporations under equalization funds as part of SFC Devolution Grant in March 2004.