GoI and ADB signed 125 million USD financing agreement to expand access in Uttarakhand

The GoI and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed a $125 million financing agreement to expand access to clean and affordable drinking water as well as sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital, Uttarakhand. The initiative addresses the need to improve urban services in Dehradun and Nainital, the fast-growing cities that draw thousands of tourists every day. Improved water and sanitation services will also encourage better hygiene habits, which will help people avoid future pandemics and epidemics. The project will involve the construction of a 136 km water pipe system in south Dehradun to replace defective water networks and offer stable and continuous water supply for an estimated 40,000 people, including 4,000 urban poor and vulnerable groups. Water meters will be installed in around 5,400 households to facilitate efficient water use and billing. The project will establish STPs in Dehradun, supported by 256 km of enclosed underground sewer networks and 117 km of stormwater drainage networks.