New Delhi: The Government of India on Monday signed a $96.3-million loan agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to provide safe drinking water and improve water supply and sanitation services in Himachal Pradesh. Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary Department of Economic Affairs, signed on behalf of the Government of India, while Takeo Konishi, Country Director for ADB.
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, Mishra said after signing the agreement.
“ADB’s involvement in the project will provide water management best practices, strengthen institutional capacity, and guide tariff reform,” Konishi said.
“These interventions will address the government’s aim of providing uninterrupted pressurized water supply to households, inclusive sanitation services, strengthening operation and maintenance for sustainable service delivery, and building capacity of relevant staff,” he said. The ADB project will connect 75,800 houses “These interventions will address the government’s aim of providing uninterrupted pressurized water supply to households, inclusive sanitation services, strengthening operation and maintenance for sustainable service delivery, and building capacity of relevant staff,” he said. The ADB project will connect 75,800 households to the service, pro- viding uninterrupted water supply to about 3,70,000 residents across 10 districts, an official statement said.
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 fecal sludge management and sanitation program will also be implemented in Sirmaur District, benefiting 250,000 residents, the statement added.
“The project will strengthen the capacity of the Jal Shakti Vibhag of the Government of Himachal Pradesh and gram panchayat (local government) village water and sanitation committees. 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 organizations will be trained on water management, including livelihood skills training for women self-help groups,”
