World Bank approves two projects worth USD 372 mln to India

Lalit K Jha
Washington, June 16 (PTI) The World Bank has approved two
projects worth USD 372 million, including the integrated
coastal zone management project, to India.
The World Bank said it has approved a USD 222 million
International Development Assistance (IDA) credit for the
integrated coastal zone management project, while another USD
150 million IDA credit has been approved for additional
financing for the ongoing Karnataka rural water supply and
sanitation project.
The integrated coastal zone management project will help
build the appropriate institutional arrangements, capacity and
advanced knowledge systems needed to implement the national
programme, the Bank said.
The project will also help pilot this approach in three
coastal states of India -- Gujarat, Orissa and West Bengal --
through a range of complementary local pilot investments in
select coastal stretches to support state-level capacity
building.
These investments include interventions such as mangrove
plantation, regeneration of coral reefs, cleaning up of
beaches, sewerage and solid waste management, conservation of
cultural heritage, and a number of activities aimed at
enhancing the livelihoods of coastal communities, the Bank
said in a statement on Tuesday.
"Among others, the project will support the mapping and
delineation of hazard lines and ecologically sensitive areas,
setting up a world-class national centre for sustainable
coastal zone management, preparation of integrated coastal
zone management plans -- each of which will be crucial to
serve the long-term interests of the country," says Tapas
Paul, World Bank Senior Environment Specialist and Project
team leader.
The Karnataka rural water supply and sanitation project
(KRWSS) is part of a long-term programme of World Bank support
to the Karnataka's efforts to increase rural communities'
access to improved and sustainable drinking water and
sanitation services.
Since 1993, two participatory Bank-supported projects
have already helped villagers in 4,166 villages of 23
districts plan, build and operate their own water supply
systems.
The project has already brought clean drinking water to
about five million people, taking the number of households
having private water supply connections from 12 percent to 47
percent in the project villages.
The additional finance will also help the government
focus on improving the quality of water supply, the Bank said.
PTI