World Bank provides USD 72mn to Nepal to improve water supply

The World Bank today provided USD 72 million assistance to Nepal to improve water supply in rural areas in the next five years.
A document to this effect was signed between World Bank head of country office, Bigyan Pradhan, and Finance Ministry Joint Secretary Madhu Kumar Marasini in Kathmandu.
Pradhan said the assistance will be instrumental to help attain the millennium development goals of Nepal.
Of the assistance provided through the World Bank's International Development Association fund, USD 50 million is in the form of soft loan and USD 22 million is grant, a statement issued by the World Bank Nepal said.

The amount provided for the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Improvement Project is expected to benefit 2.4 million people in drinking water and sanitation services during the next five years.
This will also help transform 400 Village Development Committees across the country as Open Defecation Free (ODF).
Marasini said the assistance will help Nepal attain the international commitment to provide drinking water and sanitation by 2017.