ADB ink $200 mn pact to improve urban areas in Rajasthan

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JAIPUR, Rajasthan: An official informed that the Government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have inked a pact worth $200 million to provide additional finance for the Rajasthan Secondary Towns Development Sector Project. The fund will primarily be used to improve water supply and sanitation systems, as well as to strengthen urban resilience and preserve cultural heritage in certain towns.

After signing the pact, Vumlunmang Vualnam, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, said that the extra funding will aid the state in fulfilling its promise to address fundamental infrastructure shortcomings in its secondary towns.

Currently running project, approved in September 2020, has already laid the water supply lines, lengthened over 1,450 km and 1,110 km of sewer pipes and has provided water connection to 68,098 households in selected towns in the state.

Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB’s India Resident Mission, said, “The project will incorporate various innovative and climate-resilient solutions for expanding basic urban services and incorporate nature-based solutions to rehabilitate heritage structures besides piloting public- private partnerships in the state’s water and sanitation sector to deepen private sector engagement.”

These additional funds will improve the water supply system in seven towns by converting all groundwater sources to surface water. The fund will be used to replace 700 km of leaking water pipes, lay 1,400 km of new water supply lines, provide 77,000 household water connections with meters, and construct three new water treatment plants.

Improving 580 km of sewer lines in at least eight towns, building seven sewage treatment plants with additional faecal sludge and septage and providing sewage connection to at least 54,000 households are some other activities this pact will entail.

In the same vein, there are plans to renovate 20 historic structures to enhance the overall quality of life and draw in more visitors.