ADB to assist city in facing water crisis

CHENNAI: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has sanctioned $500 million ( 3,600 crore) to Tamil Nadu , which could help redefine urban living in 10 cities including Chennai and Coimbatore.The money, part loan and part grant, would be used to improve water supply and sewerage systems, besides reviving rivers and other water bodies. Some four million people were expected to be direct beneficiaries.The ADB funding includes a technical assistance grant of $1 million to help individuals and organisations build skills to work more efficiently.To further boost urban transformation initiatives in the identified cities, the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government, the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, and the urban local bodies concerned would chip in with an additional $766.4 million ( 5,500 cr).The funding would be spent primarily in areas adjoining industrial clusters of the target cities. A solar-powered sewage treatment plant in Coimbatore, first of its kind in the country, was part of the project, said a statement from the bank’s senior urban development specialist Ron Slangen.The ADB will release the fund in three tranches till March 2022.The first tranche of $169 million would be for target Chennai, Coimbatore, Rajapalayam, Trichy, Tirunelveli, and Vellore. “A $2 million grant from the Asian Clean Energy Fund, established by the Government of Japan, will fund the solar energy pilot project,” said Slangen. “Managing rapid urbanization is essential for sustaining economic growth and alleviating poverty. The state suffers from recurring droughts and erratic monsoons linked to climate change, resulting in severe water scarcity and urban flooding. ADB’s support will help address these challenges through climate-resilient investment and deeper institutional support,” said Slangen.In TN, urban service levels remain low. Less than half of the households are served piped water and nearly a third of supplied water gets lost owing to an ageing distribution network. As a result, what residents get is intermittent supply of water for 2 hours a day. Only 42% of households are covered by the sewerage network and 43% of sewage is disposed directly into waterways, untreated. The ADB programme is expected to provide direct assistance in these areas. It seeks to translate the Vision Tamil Nadu 2023 document, released way back in 2012, into action by providing universal access to water and sanitation, all with a view to developing worldclass cities along high-performing industrial corridors, the statement said. “Beyond physical investments, the programme will boost institutional capacity, public awareness, and urban governance as part of a comprehensive approach for developing livable cities,” Slangen said.