Five towns of Himachal to have better sewerage facilities MoU signed with French Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD)

A sewerage system is critical for achieving the goals of good sanitation. While the provision of potable drinking water takes precedence, the importance of the sewerage system cannot be overlooked, as all the water used by the community has to flow back as sewage loaded with the wastes of community living, which, if not properly collected, treated, and disposed of, would create serious water pollution problems.

Similarly, water is a significant natural resource for our country, and it should be managed as efficiently as possible. Keeping the twin objectives in view, the present State Government has decided to improve drinking water and sanitation services in five towns of the State, viz. Manali, Bilaspur, Palampur, Nahan and Karsog, said the Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

He said that recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) of Rs. 817.12 crore project has been signed by the State Government with the French Development Agency, Agence Francaise de Developpement (AFD) with an objective to develop better sewerage facilities in the above-mentioned towns of the state, besides improving drinking water supply in Manali and Palampur towns

 Rs. 612 crore will be provided by AFD, whereas the State Government will provide Rs. 204.85 crore under the project. 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, said the Chief Minister.

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 within three years. The Phase II of this project will begin after 18 months from the commencement of Phase-I, he added.

The Project will go a long way in providing the best sanitation facilities and quality drinking water to the people of these towns of the State.