Some 10.5 kilometres of roads were paved in Al Salama neighbourhood, Hrairia delegation, Tunis, as part of the 1st generation of the Working-Class Districts Integration and Rehabilitation Programme launched by the Urban Rehabilitation and Renovation Agency (French: ARRU), project manager Imed Ghanmi told TAP. Al Salama rehabilitation project also helped put in place a 6km sewage network in the neighbourhood as well as 4.2km of rainwater drainage pipes. This in addition to renovating a 6-km section of the drinking water network. Works of this project, worth a total of TND 9.3 million, started on August 28, 2023 and will last till August 2024, he added. The furtherance rate of works stood at 50% on October 25. Target population is more than 10,000 residents over an area of 30,000 hectares. The aim is to improve living conditions for local residents, facilitate pedestrian movement by laying pavements, smooth traffic flow by asphalting roads, and protect the town from flooding as it is located in a low-lying area, the officail highlighted. Additional goals include economic recovery, the renovation of the drinking water distribution network and the redevelopment of the waste water drainage network to avoid flooding and ensure cleanliness by facilitating the removal of waste, mainly household waste. The ARRU, along with ten Tunisian public companies, joined the national quality promotion programme, in accordance with ISO 9001 standards, in 2000 in a bid to upgrade its performance in quality, environment, health and occupational safety, said ARRU Quality Manager Abir Ben Jannet Saii. The ARRU obtaind conformity certification to quality standards in 2003 and has undertaken to protect the environment by adopting a quality system that complies with ISO 14001 standards, she added. The agency's environment management system obtained international certification in 2010. As regards compliance with occupational health and safety standards, ARRU obtained its certification for the Occupational Health and Safety Management Assessment Series OHSAS 18001 Standard. This certification is maintained and updated according to the ISO 45001 in 2020. An environmental and social procedure handbook had been drawn up under this project so as to redevelop and integrate residential areas, she added. It will be used during the implementation of projects to identify the environmental dimensions and health and safety risks for each project. A risk management plan will also be put in place to make sure projects are carried out under safe conditions and as part of a participatory approach at every stage. Source: EN - Agence Tunis Afrique Presse