ADB signs $112-mn loan agreement to improve water supply in Jharkhand
The Centre has signed an agreement with the Asian Development Bank for a $112 million loan to develop water supply infrastructure in Jharkhand. The loan was approved by the Manila-based multilateral lender last month and marks the ADB’s first urban project in Jharkhand.
The project will support urban service improvement and policy initiatives of Jharkhand by ensuring continuous and treated piped water supply. It will finance water supply infrastructure in the state capital Ranchi and three other towns – Hussainabad, Jhumri Telaiya and Medininagar – located in economically and socially backward areas of the state.
The project will also address capacity and institutional governance issues in the sector.
It Jharkhand water supply project will also help in establishing a model of continuous water supply combined with the policy reforms for a sustainable operation, which can also be replicated by other low-income states in India to provide safe drinking water to urban households as planned under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
As part of the project, four water treatment plants, with a combined capacity of 275 million liter per day, would be constructed to provide clean drinking water meeting the national drinking water quality standards. The project will set up 940 kilometers of water distribution network to provide continuous water supply to about 115,000 households, including those below the poverty line, scheduled caste and scheduled tribe members, and other vulnerable groups.
To ensure sustainability, the project will strengthen the capacity of urban local bodies (ULBs) on urban service delivery and governance. The staff of ULBs and other state urban institutions will be trained on design and implementation of urban projects, which will cover various other aspects such as response to climate risks, inclusion of gender equality, and institutional development.
Innovative technologies will be introduced in the project design to minimize water losses in water treatment and distribution. The project also includes use of a supervisory control and data acquisition system for water supply operation, and geographic information system-based asset management in Ranchi, said an ADB statement.
The total project cost is $160 million, of which $48 million will be financed by the Jharkhand government. The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
“The project supports the Jharkhand Vision and Action Plan 2021 to improve the quality of life of its urban residents through better quality urban infrastructure,” said ADB Principal Urban Development Specialist for South Asia Sanjay Joshi.
“Water supply in Jharkhand is currently inadequate, with residents receiving only an average 3-4 hours daily of water supply. The project will ensure continuous and quality water supply, which will also improve the health and hygiene situation in the area, particularly in post-pandemic scenario”, Joshi said.
