The Water Supply Improvement Project will expand piped water access to many more households, ensuring that residents of the Valley get better quality water for more hours and at higher pressure, ADB said in a press statement. More than 2.72 million people are expected to benefit from the project.[break]
Under the project, the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works -- the executing agency -- will also construct additional bulk transmission systems and reservoirs, undertake rehabilitation of water distribution networks and increase household connections. It will also ensure a provision of 24-hour supplies in at least 10 percent of the targeted service area.
The project will reduce water losses in the distribution system and also raise the financial and asset management capabilities of agencies overseeing the sector.
According to the statement, the project will complement other ongoing water services work being carried out by ADB and its development partners, including the construction of the Melamchi tunnel.
“The project will prioritize underserved areas and poor sections of the population in the Valley,” the statement quoted Manoj Sharma, Urban Development Specialist in ADB´s South Asia Department, as saying.
Population of Kathmandu Valley has been growing at over 6 percent a year, but a lack of sustainable water sources and underinvestment has left many households with inadequate, low quality supplies.
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