The work on the first phase of the “Jharkhand urban water supply improvement project” will start by the end of June in four urban local bodies, including Ranchi, after the finalisation of a three-tier loan negotiation between the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Union government and the Jharkhand government on Friday evening.

“Under the first phase of the Jharkhand urban water supply improvement project, the scheme for water supply through taps in every house of Ranchi, Medininagar (Daltonganj), Jhumritilaiya and Hussainabad city will commence shortly by the end of this June.

“The work is estimated to be completed by the end of 2024 and would benefit nearly 5 lakh beneficiaries,” said Utkarsh Mishra, deputy project director of the Jharkhand Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation (Juidco), a wing of the state urban development department.

The loan-negotiation meeting was held between the secretary of the urban development department, Vinay Kumar Choubey, director of the State Urban Development Authority (SUDA), Amit Kumar, Union finance ministry economic affairs department director Juhi Mukherjee and Asian Development Bank’s mission leader Sanjay Joshi and co-mission leader Vivek Vishal.

“Through these schemes, the resolve of the state government to supply piped water to every household will be fulfilled. With the joint cooperation of the state government and the Asian Development Bank, projects worth $654 million (Rs 4,700), are to be completed in the cities of the state. Under this all types of urban infrastructure have to be developed,” said the urban development spokesperson.

The first phase of the Jharkhand urban water supply improvement project will have a total cost of around Rs 1,200 crore.

“The work of preparing this project was going on by the state government for the last one and a half years. Around 70 per cent of the total cost of the project will be spent by the Asian Development Bank and 30 per cent from the state government’s share which means ADB will spend a total of Rs 840 crore, while the state government will spend Rs 360 crore,” the spokesperson added.

Though the first phase will benefit four urban local bodies, the amount from the loan will also be used in reforms in all 50 municipal bodies of Jharkhand, especially in training the personnel for the strengthening of operation and the maintenance of the water schemes of the government through a proper revenue generation model.