French agency to help improve water, sanitation services in 5 Himachal towns

Under the project, ₹612 crore will be provided by AFD, whereas the state will provide ₹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 cutting-edge technologies so that the effluent could be reused for agricultural and industrial purposes.

To improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the State, the Himachal government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) of ₹817.12 crore project with the French Development Agency, Agence Francaise de Développement (AFD), to develop better sewerage facilities in five towns of the state --Manali, Bilaspur, Palampur, Nahan and Karsog and to improve drinking water supply in Manali and Palampur towns.

Representational image.

Under the project, ₹612 crore will be provided by AFD, whereas the state will provide ₹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 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 ₹425.85 crore in the first phase, ₹340 crore will be financed by AFD and in the second phase AFD will provide ₹272 crore out of a total project cost of ₹371 crore. The project will be implemented in three years and phase-II will begin after 18 months from the commencement of Phase 1.