New Delhi: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a $96.3-million loan for safe drinking water and improved water supply and sanitation in Himachal Pradesh. ADB and the Government of India signed an agreement to this effect today.
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, Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, said.
“ADB’s involvement in the project will provide water management best practices, strengthen institutional capacity, and guide tariff reform,” Takeo Konishi, Country Director for ADB in India, said. “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,” he added
More than 90% of Himachal’s rural population has 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 an 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 km of water distribution pipelines. A pilot faecal sludge management and sanitation programme will also be implemented in Sirmaur District, benefiting 250,000 residents.
The project is also expected to strengthen the capacity of the Jal Shakti Vibhag of the Government of Himachal Pradesh and gram panchayat village water and sanitation committees. The Ministry of Finance stated it will support the state government’s water tariff policy reforms and introduce an asset management system at the state-level and district asset management plans. Key project stakeholders and community-based organisations will be trained on water management, including livelihood skills training for women’s self-help groups.
– global bihari bureau
