Govt to improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns
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Shimla, April 29 – Water, sanitation and hygiene are major determinants of health and nutrition levels. It has been well established that safe drinking water, quality sanitation, and good hygiene contribute to the prevention of disease and the promotion of health. Thereby, all three have long-term beneficial economic implications.
To improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the State, the State Government has recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Rs. 817.12 crore project with the French Development Agency Agence Francaise de Developpment (AFD) to develop better sewerage facilities in five towns of the state viz. Manali, Bilaspur, Palampur, Nahan and Karsog and to improve drinking water supply in Manali and Palampur towns.
Under the project, Rs. 612 crore will be provided by AFD, whereas the State Government will provide Rs. 204.85 crore. The beneficiaries of the project will receive house service connections in these five cities and the sewerage treatment plant will be designed with the cutting-edge technologies, so that the effluent could be reused for agricultural and industrial purposes.
The project aims to improve the environmental condition of water sources, reduce water-borne diseases, manage quality sanitation facilities in accordance with local regulations and international best practices and bring financial sustainability to the drinking water and sanitation sector.
Out of Rs. 425.85 crore in the first phase, Rs. 340 crore will be financed by AFD and in the second phase AFD will provide Rs. 272 crore out of a total project cost of Rs. 371 crore. The Project will be implemented in three years and Phase-II will begin after 18 months from the commencement of Phase-I.
