Asian Development Bank grants $139.55 million loan to Puducherry for urban infrastructure and water system upgrades

Key facts

• The Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $139.55 million loan to Puducherry to improve urban infrastructure and municipal governance.
• The funding, under the Puducherry Integrated Urban Livability Improvement Project, aims to support the development of climate-resilient water supply and sanitation infrastructure.
• The project includes upgrading 100 kilometers of water supply network and laying 80 kilometers of new pipelines.
• The plan involves building 270 kilometers of underground sewer network and rehabilitating 80 kilometers of existing sewer network.
• A new sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 50 million liters per day is to be established.
• The ADB will also upgrade urban public spaces by constructing 4.5 kilometers of pedestrian walkways accessible to persons with disabilities.
• The ADB Country Director for India, Mio Oka, stated that the project marks the bank's first engagement in the Union Territory of Puducherry.