Project Execution Resumes: Clearford India Update Q4 2021
By Sanjay Deshpande, Executive Director & Head of Operations, Clearford India
Cautious optimism led the Clearford India team throughout Quarter 4 of the 2021 year. COVID-19 Delta variant cases dropped drastically in India and by early October, most of the country was largely free of the virus. Further reopening the economy by lifting more and more restrictions, allowed Clearford India to safely resume its virtual and in-person business development networking opportunities and project management. Over the course of Q4, Clearford India executed four signed contracts as well as signed the first Water Security & Corporate Sustainability (WSCS) project with the HINDALCO manufacturing unit in Taloja, Mumbai.
Projects Under Execution
Plot Pada Village, Maharashtra –The Clearford OneTM system installation is near completion with the installation of the Digester Internal Mixer and Attenuator components (manufactured in Gujarat) and the Treated Water Network, while pending the delivery of a custom designed solar power system. This unique solar powered treated water distribution system is projected to enhance the lives of the villagers by allowing them to grow food throughout the year instead of only during the monsoon season and immediate months after. This project, therefore, has the potential to significantly impact not just UN SDG 6 (Water & Sanitation) but also SDG 3 (Good Health & Well Being) https://sdgs.un.org/goals .
Forward looking, Clearford India would like to install more solar powered systems at our CSR funded rural village projects.
Swachh Poondi Project Phase 2, Tamil Nadu – Located in the village of Arunthatiyar Colony, this project remained on schedule with Phase 2 nearing completion and the hand‑over to the local village authorities projected for January 2022. As we write this quarterly update, all Toilets and Digester construction have been completed, the Mixers and Attenuators have been installed, and the pipe network and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) are being carried out to completion.
Alwa Village Phase 3B, Gujarat – A range of requirements were completed by the Clearford India team including completion of various project documentation exercises, ground markings of the 90 Digesters locations and negotiation and signature of a contract with a local civil contractor to execute the work.
Trenching for the Digesters commenced in December 2021, with completion scheduled for mid-February 2022.
Swachh Poondi Project Phase 3, Tamil Nadu &
Swachh Poondi HDFC Village Project, Tamil Nadu
Following the meetings held in late August with our NGO partner to finalize the site design, the Clearford team used Q4 to negotiate and sign a contract with a local civil contractor to execute the work. A complementary meeting took place with local Government officials where we received the No Objection Certificate to begin work, leading to the start of the construction of new toilets.
New Project Signing
As a part of the Water Security & Corporate Sustainability strategy developed in Q1; Clearford India continues to manage its existing operations and pursue opportunities with new clients identified throughout the pandemic. We are happy to announce that the first of these projects has been awarded to Clearford India by the Aditya Birla Group company, HINDALCO. This project commenced in December 2021 and will service part of the residential township in Taloja, Mumbai. The Clearford One™ system and 30m3 STP will service 138 staff members in the residential quarters and is scheduled to be completed by March 2022.
Project Pipeline
Closing out the 2021-year, site visits were organized Rangapuram Village to examine the finished project and also at the Arunthatiyar Colony in Tamil Nadu to view the project underway and report the status to the Chief of Operations and Engineering team of the Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company (TWIC). During discussions, there was mutual recognition between TWIC and Clearford that the Clearford OneTM aids positive environmental and financial advantages, within a shorter timeline. With Clearford’s leading edge wastewater technologies that delivers a better approach to sanitation infrastructure, TWIC is looking forward to continuing work with the Clearford India team to identify a pilot project of approximately 1,000 homes (~5,000 population) in an urban or semi-urban setting near Chennai in early 2022.
Continuing to target the Corporate Water Sustainability as part of Corporate India’s SDG Goals, Clearford India is currently negotiating with three other entities going into 2022. Design work and discussions with clients are underway at industrial unit sites in the States of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Jharkhand.
Clearford India in the News
In other news, Sanjay Deshpande, Executive Director, Clearford India Pvt. Ltd. presented its work at the Asian Development Bank’s 2nd e-MarketPlace for a Water-Secure and Resilient Asia and Pacific on October 21st where he spoke about the Clearford OneTM technologies applicability in helping achieve SDG 6 in communities.
Additionally, in mid-November, Mr. Deshpande presented at a highly specialized webinar, the Industrial Water and Effluent Treatment (IWET), dedicated to helping the wastewater industry achieve Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) status.
