France has extended a 65 million euro credit facility for financing a water supply project in Puducherry, a statement said.
An agreement was inked between the Government of India, represented by S. Selvakumar, Joint Secretary - Department of Economic Affairs (DEA), and the French Development Agency (AFD), represented by Herve Dubreuil, Deputy Director for India, in the presence of Manoj Kumar Parida, Chief Secretary to Government, Puducherry, a statement from the French Embassy here said.
The Credit Facility Agreement of 65 million euros was inked on Friday for financing the Puducherry Water Supply Project.
The Union Territory's Public Works Department (PWD) will be responsible for the implementation of this policy in coordination with the Puducherry Pollution Control Committee (PPCC).
The objective of the project is to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions of the people of Puducherry and its environs, by increasing the availability of drinking water. It also aims to create a healthy and attractive environment to back the development of the city.
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In order to meet water demand by 2032 and ensure continuous supply, it is envisaged to drill 84 borewells, acquire submersible pumps, install electrical transformers, set up pumping stations and reservoirs, develop intermediate storage wells and pipes for the distribution network, and promote individual connections for the urban poor, the statement said.
In addition, it is planned to extend the water supply to the peri-urban area of the city of Puducherry by increasing the number of tanks.
The project is in line with the Smart Cities Mission launched in 2015 by the Government of India and is part of the Smart Cities Proposal of Puducherry. AFD also provided technical assistance to Puducherry to draw up its Smart City proposal, which was selected by the Government of India for the Smart Cities Mission on June 23. The project duration is five years.
--IANS
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