India’s government and ADB agree to provide Uttarakhand $200 million
to improve the state’s urban mobility, sanitation, water supply, and other urban services
INN/New Delhi, @Infodeaofficial
A $200 million loan was inked today by the Indian government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help improve Uttarakhand’s water supply, sanitation, urban mobility, and other urban services.
Ms. Mio Oka, Country Director of India Resident Mission, for ADB, and Ms. Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, for the Government of India, signed the loan agreement for the Uttarakhand Liveability Improvement Project.
According to Ms. Mukherjee, the project is in line with the urban development objective of the Indian government and the Uttarakhand government’s efforts to improve urban services with the goal of making cities more livable and sustainable.
“The project aims to ensure the safety and health of Uttarakhand’s population by creating urban infrastructure that is resilient to climate and environmental risks like floods and landslides,” Ms. Mio stated. Additionally, it will increase the state agencies’ ability to manage projects, plan for climate and catastrophe resilience, generate their own revenue, and mainstream gender issues.
In Haldwani, the state’s economic centre, the project will improve drainage, flood control, urban mobility, transportation, and general public services. Additionally, by creating effective and climate-resilient water supply infrastructure, it will enhance the distribution of water in four cities: Champawat, Kichha, Kotdwar, and Vikasnagar.
The project would build 16 km of climate-resilient roads in Haldwani, install compressed natural gas buses, pilot electric buses and set up an advanced traffic control system. The project will build 36 km of roadside and stormwater drains to enhance flood control and provide an early warning system in order to better prepare the city for disasters. To enhance the provision of public services, a bus terminal and administrative complex with green certification will be constructed.
By building 1,024 km of climate-resilient pipelines with smart water meters, 26 tubewells, new reservoirs and a 3.5 million-liter-per-day water treatment facility, the project seeks to achieve 100% water service coverage in the remaining four cities. Sewage treatment facilities in Vikasnagar will increase sanitation coverage, benefiting about 2,000 families.
Initiatives for women will be introduced by the project, including livelihood skills training in bus driving, bus ticketing, and EV charging station operation. The initiative will increase the ability of women, notably those from homes that are at risk, to operate and manage water supply and sanitation services because of the role that women play in monitoring water supply systems. In parallel, the European Investment Bank is contributing $191 million to the project’s financing.