The Indian government and the Asian Development Bank have signed a $200 million loan to upgrade water supply, sanitation, urban mobility, and other urban services in Uttarakhand.
The project aims to create resilient urban infrastructure to climate and environmental risks, ensuring the safety and health of Uttarakhand’s population. It will also build the capacity of state agencies in project management, climate-and disaster-resilient planning, own-source revenue generation, and gender mainstreaming.
The project will enhance transportation, urban mobility, drainage, flood management, and overall public services in Haldwani, the economic hub of the state. It will improve water supply delivery in four cities – Champawat, Kichha, Kotdwar, and Vikasnagar – by developing efficient and climate-resilient water supply systems.
In Haldwani, the project will develop 16 km of climate-resilient roads, establish an intelligent traffic management system, deploy compressed natural gas buses, and pilot electric buses.
In the other four cities, the project aims to increase water service coverage to 100% by constructing 1,024 km of climate-resilient pipelines with smart water meters, 26 tubewells, new reservoirs, and a 3.5 million-litre-per-day water treatment plant. Sanitation coverage in Vikasnagar will be improved by sewage treatment facilities benefiting around 2,000 households.
The project will introduce initiatives for women, such as livelihood skills training on driving buses, bus ticketing, and the operation of electric charging stations, to build their capacity in operating and managing water supply and sanitation services.
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Source: PIB
