RAJASTHAN, India — The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved two loans amounting to half a billion dollars to help the government of Rajasthan, India’s largest state, more effectively manage critical urban services and finance water and wastewater upgrades, according to a press release.
A policy loan worth $250 million will help to finance the creation of a corporate-style state body overseeing the urban services development and Jaipur, an independent utility in the state capital, to oversee the water and wastewater operations, stated the release.
The release reported that another $250 million project loan will help support water system improvements in cities that currently have low piped water coverage and high water losses, including Pali, Sri Gangangar, Hanumangarh, Tonk and Jhunjhunu.
In these five cities as well as Bhilwara, wastewater pipelines and treatment plants will also be upgraded and expanded, wastewater recycling schemes will be put in place and slug will be used to help generate electricity, added the release.
The program is expected to be completed by 2019, when water supplies in the cities expand from only two hours a day to 24 hours, noted the release.
Read the entire release here.
