The Indian government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $112 million loan today to improve service delivery in four towns in Jharkhand by developing water supply infrastructure and strengthening the abilities of urban local bodies (ULBs). Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission, who signed for ADB and Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, who signed for the Government of India, were the signatories to the Jharkhand Urban Water Supply Improvement Project agreement. Mishra after signing the agreement said that the project is in line with the government of Jharkhand's priority of improving urban services in the state and that it will ensure continuity of treated piped water supply in Ranchi, as well as the three economically and socially backward towns of Hussainabad, Jhumri Telaiya, and Medininagar. In the project towns, four water treatment plants with a total capacity of 275 million litre per day will be built to provide safe drinking water that meets national drinking water quality standards. The project will also construct a 940 km water distribution network to provide clean water to 115,000 households, including those in poverty, members of scheduled castes and tribes, and other vulnerable groups. To ensure long-term viability, the project will build ULB capacity in urban service delivery and governance by developing an asset management strategy and providing training in urban project design and implementation. The water loss will be reduced through the use of innovative technologies in water treatment and distribution. In Ranchi, the project also includes the use of supervisory control and data acquisition systems for water supply operations, as well as asset management using a geographic information system. The Asian Development Bank is dedicated to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific while continuing to fight extreme poverty. It was founded in 1966 and is owned by 68 members, 49 of whom are from the local area. Image Source Also read: ADB nods $300 mn additional loan for Maharashtra’s rural roads Also read: ADB nods $150 mn loan to provide housing to the poor in Tamil Nadu