Himachal Pradesh govt inks pact with AFD to improve drinking water, sanitation services

The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday inked a pact with a French development agency to improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the state, an official statement said.

The Himachal Pradesh government on Tuesday inked a pact with a French development agency to improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the state, an official statement said. The Memorandum of Understanding for the project worth Rs 817.12 crore with Agence Francaise de Development (AFD), it said. The MoU was signed in the presence of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri. Secretary, Jal Shakti department, Amitabh Awasthi signed the MoU on behalf of the state government and country director, AFD, Bruno Bosle on behalf of AFD, it said. The objective of the project is to develop better sewerage facilities in five towns -- Manali, Bilaspur, Palampur, Nahan and Karsog -- and to improve drinking water supply in Manali and Palampur towns, the statement said.

Under the project, Rs 612 crore would be provided by AFD, while the state government would provide Rs 204.85 crore, the statement quoting the chief minister said. The beneficiaries of the project in these five cities will receive house service connections and the sewerage treatment plant would be designed with cutting-edge technology so that the effluent could be reused for agricultural and industrial purposes, he said. 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, he added.

The implementation period of the project was three years and Phase-II will begin after 18 months from the commencement of Phase-I, he added.

''The state government is committed to provide the best sanitation facilities and quality drinking water to the people of the state and this project would go a long way in achieving this goal,'' Sukhu said.