The Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department of Tamil Nadu envisions functional tap water connection to all households, water balance plan and providing ‘world class’ infrastructure in all cities and towns. The State government intends to achieve this by preparing a well-laid action plan with a promise to implement it in a time-bound manner, according to the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department’s Policy Note for 2021-2022 presented in the State Assembly.
Inclusive growth of cities
With a view to achieve sustainable and inclusive development, the department has formulated a citizen-centric roadmap for the next 10 years. The salient points for Vision 2031 include provisions for water supply, sanitation, solid waste management, basic healthcare for all; green and clean cities; adequate roads, streetlights and crematoriums.
Urbanisation
The rate of urbanisation in Tamil Nadu is highest among the large States in India with 48.45 per cent of its population living in urban areas at the time of Census 2011.
Urban population in the State grew from 1.9 crore in 1991 (34 per cent of total population) to 3.5 crore in 2011 (48.45 per cent of total population) translating to a growth of 83 per cent. During this period, India’s urban population grew from 25.71 per cent to 31.16 per cent.
Tamil Nadu’s high urbanisation level is also a reflection and a contributor to its vibrant and diversified economic base, as the second largest State in terms of Gross State Domestic Product among Indian States. Yet, the continued pace of urbanisation is adding to the strain on urban infrastructure and service delivery in cities and towns with attendant concerns around quality of urban living.
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On Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), the policy note said it is facing a severe shortfall in revenue receipts of property tax collection due to deferment of general revision of property tax rates and the impact of Covid-19 pandemic. Property tax is the main source of revenue for urban local bodies.
Additionally, GCC has an outstanding loan amount of ₹2,715.17 crore (including ₹550 crore overdraft from State Bank of India), pending contractor payments of ₹218.57 crore and ₹511.97 crore payable to various government agencies. Apart from this, the GCC is expected to incur additional expenditure on account of outsourcing of solid waste management in 10 zones, the policy note said