Tatarstan Minister of Construction Marat Aizatullin: "Our goal is to change 5% of housing and communal services networks annually"
In 2025, Tatarstan allocated a record amount of almost 13 billion rubles for the modernization of municipal infrastructure. Marat Aizatullin, Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke in an interview about how funds were distributed between federal and regional programs, why Naberezhnye Chelny received special funding and what plans for 2026 are.
- Marat Mansurovich, the year 2025 was a record year for Tatarstan in terms of the modernization of municipal infrastructure. What is the reason for such unprecedented financial activity right now? What problems triggered such large-scale injections?
- The main reason is the condition of engineering networks. This problem is relevant for the whole country, and Tatarstan is no exception. The length of utility networks in the republic exceeds 27 thousand km, and a third of them - more than 9 thousand km - needs to be replaced. About 30% of the water supply networks (5.8 thousand km) are worn out, 40% of the drainage networks (more than 2 thousand km) and about 43% of the heat pipelines (1.5 thousand km). It was the accumulated wear over the years that led to the launch of a large-scale modernization of the municipal infrastructure. Accident statistics confirm the need for these measures: for example, 60% of all accidents on heating systems occurred in the Nizhnekamsk region during the last heating period.
- This year, in addition to the federal program, we launched our own new republican program for 8.5 billion rubles. What niche does it cover? What facilities were included in it that could not be financed from the federal budget?
- In order to solve the problem of network wear in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a federal program to modernize public infrastructure systems. In Tatarstan, 67 projects worth 4.5 billion rubles were implemented under this program in 2023-2024, and about 128 km of networks were replaced in 10 municipalities.
This year, the federal program for the modernization of municipal infrastructure has become part of the new national project "Infrastructure for Life". It covers 44 sites in 11 municipalities of Tatarstan. The program's budget amounted to 4.15 billion rubles, of which 2.2 billion were federal budget funds. As part of this direction, we are changing 135 km of networks.
However, this volume is not enough. Therefore, the RAIS of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, launched an additional republican program with funding of 8.5 billion rubles, the goal is to eliminate the under-repair of public utilities and reduce accidents in the networks. It is even more ambitious: 100 facilities and the replacement of 269 km of networks, including 229 km of water pipes, 24.9 km of heat pipelines and 15.1 km of sewer networks. The implementation of both programs will improve the quality of services for 626 thousand residents of the republic.
This year, several major projects have been implemented to modernize heating networks, including the construction of block-modular boiler houses in the village of Jalil, the reconstruction of the central boiler house and heat supply networks in the city of Aznakaevo, the reconstruction of heat supply networks in Nizhnekamsk, and the construction of a block-modular boiler house on the territory of Military Camp-33 in Kazan.
- What was the criterion for the selection of objects in 2025? Were these the most emergency areas, or was priority given to new housing construction sites?
- When selecting facilities for modernization in 2025 - 100 republican and 44 federal - an integrated approach was applied. Priority was given to emergency areas with a high degree of deterioration of utility networks - more than 80% - and frequent breakthroughs. Modernization of such sites allows not only to eliminate accidents, but also to minimize the loss of resources while reducing operating costs. Thus, both the urgent needs for disaster management and the strategic objectives of territorial development were taken into account.
- It is a large–scale task to implement 144 large-scale facilities in one season. What are the main challenges facing the Ministry? How difficult was it to manage two major programs - federal and republican - at the same time? How did you synchronize the work so that they complement each other rather than interfere with each other on the ground?
- The construction process is always fraught with certain difficulties, but the competencies of our government customers — the Main Investment and Construction Directorate of the Republic of Tatarstan (GIS RT) and the Main Directorate of Engineering Networks of the Republic of Tatarstan (GIS RT), as well as the experience of contractors allow us to complete the work on time.
The parallel administration of federal and republican programs has indeed become a serious organizational challenge for the Ministry and municipalities. Weekly monitoring of the progress of work helped to cope with it. We have ensured the synchronization of processes through clear delegation of authority and interaction of all participants: from customers and executive committees to resource supply organizations and contractors.
- How did the ministry ensure quality control at so many disparate facilities? Were there any cases of unfair work by contractors and what sanctions were applied to them?
- The scale of the work required the creation of a multi-level supervision system. The key role in it is assigned to government customers - GIS RT and GIS RT. This made it possible to ensure careful monitoring at all stages of the program implementation and high quality of work.
- More than half of the facilities under the federal program - 29 out of 44 - were located in Naberezhnye Chelny. Does this mean that the situation with the communal infrastructure in Avtograd is more critical than in other areas?
- No, Naberezhnye Chelny is not inferior to other cities of Tatarstan in terms of the quality of engineering infrastructure. The problem of its wear is typical for all municipalities of the republic. The concentration of facilities in Naberezhnye Chelny is due to the allocation of targeted federal funding, timed to coincide with significant dates: the 50th anniversary of the release of the first KAMAZ car and the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city.
- One of the key projects is a water pipeline in the village of Kuyuki. Will it finally solve the problem of water supply in this fast-growing suburb of Kazan?
- The Kuyuki water pipeline construction project is a comprehensive solution that will solve the problem of water supply in a fundamental way. The installation of a water pipeline will not only completely cover the current needs of suburban residents for high-quality water, but will also create a foundation for the development of this territory in the long term.
- In September, Tatarstan received an additional 500 million rubles from the federal center. How difficult was it to prove the need for this funding and how do you assess the interaction with federal agencies this year?
- We managed to attract additional funding thanks to systematic work with the Russian Ministry of Construction and trust in the region as a reliable performer of large-scale projects involving federal funds. The autumn tranche played an important role in modernizing the republic's municipal infrastructure: these funds allowed us to include eight more facilities in the plan and additionally modernize 42 km of water supply networks.
- According to the latest data, the readiness of facilities exceeds 97%. What real effect will the residents of Nurlat, Jalil or Vasilevo village feel this winter?
- Residents of small settlements of Tatarstan have already felt significant improvements. Due to the modernization of municipal infrastructure facilities, emergencies have been virtually eliminated and the quality of services provided has improved.
- In addition to the percentage of work completed, how will the ministry assess the long-term effectiveness of modernization in 2025? Are there target KPIs for reducing accidents or the percentage of network wear?
- The Russian Ministry of Construction has set us a serious task: starting in 2030, to ensure the annual replacement of at least 2.5% of the networks. The programs implemented in Tatarstan will allow the republic to reach this figure by the end of this year. However, we understand that this is not enough. Our goal is to reach the level of replacing 5% of networks annually.
- About the "unresolved" problems: which major communal "pain points" remain the main priorities in Tatarstan after this year's programs are completed? What will the Ministry focus on first?
- The main pain points are usually located in cities. But we should not forget about small settlements either - problems on the scale of small areas can be huge. In the program for next year, we will definitely take into account the accident rate on the networks, an integrated approach to solving problems and, of course, appeals from citizens.
- Have you already formed plans for financing for 2026?
- yes. 2.5 billion rubles are provided for the implementation of the federal program in 2026. The amount has been adjusted down compared to 2025, as we completed some of the planned activities at a faster pace this year. As for the republican program, its volume will not be less than in 2025.
In 2025, Tatarstan allocated a record amount of almost 13 billion rubles for the modernization of municipal infrastructure. Marat Aizatullin, Minister of Construction, Architecture and Housing of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke in an interview about how funds were distributed between federal and regional programs, why Naberezhnye Chelny received special funding and what plans for 2026 are.
- Marat Mansurovich, the year 2025 was a record year for Tatarstan in terms of the modernization of municipal infrastructure. What is the reason for such unprecedented financial activity right now? What problems triggered such large-scale injections?
- The main reason is the condition of engineering networks. This problem is relevant for the whole country, and Tatarstan is no exception. The length of utility networks in the republic exceeds 27 thousand km, and a third of them - more than 9 thousand km - needs to be replaced. About 30% of the water supply networks (5.8 thousand km) are worn out, 40% of the drainage networks (more than 2 thousand km) and about 43% of the heat pipelines (1.5 thousand km). It was the accumulated wear over the years that led to the launch of a large-scale modernization of the municipal infrastructure. Accident statistics confirm the need for these measures: for example, 60% of all accidents on heating systems occurred in the Nizhnekamsk region during the last heating period.
- This year, in addition to the federal program, we launched our own new republican program for 8.5 billion rubles. What niche does it cover? What facilities were included in it that could not be financed from the federal budget?
- In order to solve the problem of network wear in 2023, Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a federal program to modernize public infrastructure systems. In Tatarstan, 67 projects worth 4.5 billion rubles were implemented under this program in 2023-2024, and about 128 km of networks were replaced in 10 municipalities.
This year, the federal program for the modernization of municipal infrastructure has become part of the new national project "Infrastructure for Life". It covers 44 sites in 11 municipalities of Tatarstan. The program's budget amounted to 4.15 billion rubles, of which 2.2 billion were federal budget funds. As part of this direction, we are changing 135 km of networks.
However, this volume is not enough. Therefore, the RAIS of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov, launched an additional republican program with funding of 8.5 billion rubles, the goal is to eliminate the under-repair of public utilities and reduce accidents in the networks. It is even more ambitious: 100 facilities and the replacement of 269 km of networks, including 229 km of water pipes, 24.9 km of heat pipelines and 15.1 km of sewer networks. The implementation of both programs will improve the quality of services for 626 thousand residents of the republic.
This year, several major projects have been implemented to modernize heating networks, including the construction of block-modular boiler houses in the village of Jalil, the reconstruction of the central boiler house and heat supply networks in the city of Aznakaevo, the reconstruction of heat supply networks in Nizhnekamsk, and the construction of a block-modular boiler house on the territory of Military Camp-33 in Kazan.
- What was the criterion for the selection of objects in 2025? Were these the most emergency areas, or was priority given to new housing construction sites?
- When selecting facilities for modernization in 2025 - 100 republican and 44 federal - an integrated approach was applied. Priority was given to emergency areas with a high degree of deterioration of utility networks - more than 80% - and frequent breakthroughs. Modernization of such sites allows not only to eliminate accidents, but also to minimize the loss of resources while reducing operating costs. Thus, both the urgent needs for disaster management and the strategic objectives of territorial development were taken into account.
- It is a large–scale task to implement 144 large-scale facilities in one season. What are the main challenges facing the Ministry? How difficult was it to manage two major programs - federal and republican - at the same time? How did you synchronize the work so that they complement each other rather than interfere with each other on the ground?
- The construction process is always fraught with certain difficulties, but the competencies of our government customers — the Main Investment and Construction Directorate of the Republic of Tatarstan (GIS RT) and the Main Directorate of Engineering Networks of the Republic of Tatarstan (GIS RT), as well as the experience of contractors allow us to complete the work on time.
The parallel administration of federal and republican programs has indeed become a serious organizational challenge for the Ministry and municipalities. Weekly monitoring of the progress of work helped to cope with it. We have ensured the synchronization of processes through clear delegation of authority and interaction of all participants: from customers and executive committees to resource supply organizations and contractors.
- How did the ministry ensure quality control at so many disparate facilities? Were there any cases of unfair work by contractors and what sanctions were applied to them?
- The scale of the work required the creation of a multi-level supervision system. The key role in it is assigned to government customers - GIS RT and GIS RT. This made it possible to ensure careful monitoring at all stages of the program implementation and high quality of work.
- More than half of the facilities under the federal program - 29 out of 44 - were located in Naberezhnye Chelny. Does this mean that the situation with the communal infrastructure in Avtograd is more critical than in other areas?
- No, Naberezhnye Chelny is not inferior to other cities of Tatarstan in terms of the quality of engineering infrastructure. The problem of its wear is typical for all municipalities of the republic. The concentration of facilities in Naberezhnye Chelny is due to the allocation of targeted federal funding, timed to coincide with significant dates: the 50th anniversary of the release of the first KAMAZ car and the 400th anniversary of the founding of the city.
- One of the key projects is a water pipeline in the village of Kuyuki. Will it finally solve the problem of water supply in this fast-growing suburb of Kazan?
- The Kuyuki water pipeline construction project is a comprehensive solution that will solve the problem of water supply in a fundamental way. The installation of a water pipeline will not only completely cover the current needs of suburban residents for high-quality water, but will also create a foundation for the development of this territory in the long term.
- In September, Tatarstan received an additional 500 million rubles from the federal center. How difficult was it to prove the need for this funding and how do you assess the interaction with federal agencies this year?
- We managed to attract additional funding thanks to systematic work with the Russian Ministry of Construction and trust in the region as a reliable performer of large-scale projects involving federal funds. The autumn tranche played an important role in modernizing the republic's municipal infrastructure: these funds allowed us to include eight more facilities in the plan and additionally modernize 42 km of water supply networks.
- According to the latest data, the readiness of facilities exceeds 97%. What real effect will the residents of Nurlat, Jalil or Vasilevo village feel this winter?
- Residents of small settlements of Tatarstan have already felt significant improvements. Due to the modernization of municipal infrastructure facilities, emergencies have been virtually eliminated and the quality of services provided has improved.
- In addition to the percentage of work completed, how will the ministry assess the long-term effectiveness of modernization in 2025? Are there target KPIs for reducing accidents or the percentage of network wear?
- The Russian Ministry of Construction has set us a serious task: starting in 2030, to ensure the annual replacement of at least 2.5% of the networks. The programs implemented in Tatarstan will allow the republic to reach this figure by the end of this year. However, we understand that this is not enough. Our goal is to reach the level of replacing 5% of networks annually.
- About the "unresolved" problems: which major communal "pain points" remain the main priorities in Tatarstan after this year's programs are completed? What will the Ministry focus on first?
- The main pain points are usually located in cities. But we should not forget about small settlements either - problems on the scale of small areas can be huge. In the program for next year, we will definitely take into account the accident rate on the networks, an integrated approach to solving problems and, of course, appeals from citizens.
- Have you already formed plans for financing for 2026?
- yes. 2.5 billion rubles are provided for the implementation of the federal program in 2026. The amount has been adjusted down compared to 2025, as we completed some of the planned activities at a faster pace this year. As for the republican program, its volume will not be less than in 2025.