In a major relief to Karnataka, which is facing water shortage, the Centre on Monday signed a $100 million loan agreement with the World Bank for urban water supply modernisation project in the state.
The drinking water problem has aggravated in the state in recent times due to drought as major rivers and reservoirs are facing acute water shortage.
“The objective of the project is to provide city-wide access to a continuous piped water supply in the eligible cities in Karnataka and to strengthen the service delivery arrangements at city level,” finance ministry said after signing the pact. The Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development & Finance Corporation (KUIDFC) is the implementing authority for the World Bank-funded project, the ministry said.
The project will be implemented over a period of six years, initially in the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad. The project will benefit about 10 lakh residents of Hubballi-Dharwad, including estimated 1.60 lakh slum dwellers. The project will have four broad components — capital investment programme, institution building, technical assistance for sector development and project management.