ADB, India sign $96.3 mln loan to improve water supply in HP
1 min read . Updated: 22 Aug 2022, 07:10 PM IST
Premium- The project is aligned with the objectives of the government of India’s Jal Jeevan Mission which aims to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024 and it will upgrade water supply infrastructure and strengthen institutional capacity to ensure safe, sustainable, and inclusive rural water supply and sanitation services
NEW DELHI : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Indian government on Monday signed a $96.3 million loan agreement to provide safe drinking water and to improve water supply and sanitation in Himachal Pradesh, finance ministry said in a statement.
The deal was signed by Rajat Kumar Mishra, additional secretary in the department of economic affairs and Takeo Konishi, Country Director for ADB in India, the statement said.
The project is aligned with the objectives of the government of India’s Jal Jeevan Mission which aims to provide piped water to all rural households by 2024 and it will upgrade water supply infrastructure and strengthen institutional capacity to ensure safe, sustainable, and inclusive rural water supply and sanitation services, the statement said quoting Mishra.
“ADB’s involvement in the project will provide water management best practices, strengthen institutional capacity, and guide tariff reform," the statement said quoting Konishi.
These interventions will address the government’s aim of providing uninterrupted pressurised water supply to households, inclusive sanitation services, strengthening operation and maintenance for sustainable service delivery, and building capacity of relevant staff, the statement said.
More than 90% of the state’s rural population have access to drinking water, but the water supply infrastructure needs revamping, to result in efficient and improved service quality. The ADB project will connect 75,800 households to the service, providing uninterrupted water supply to about 3,70,000 residents across 10 districts. To improve water supply and sanitation services, the project aims to construct 48 groundwater wells, 80 surface water intake facilities, 109 water treatment plants, 117 pumping stations, and 3,000 kilometres of water distribution pipelines.
