India

The Government of Punjab, through
Government of India’s (GoI) Department of Economic Affairs
(DEA) had requested the World Bank to provide non-lending
technical assistance (NLTA) to provide high quality basic
urban civic amenities to the residents of cities of Ludhiana
and Amritsar in the areas of: water supply, sewerage, storm
water drainage, solid waste management, and modern urban
transport system. The study is expected to recommend
measures and technologies to overcome the existing problems
and transform the cities in to modern cities with
substantially developed urban civic amenities. Capacity
building, institution, and legal reforms will also be the
component of the project report. After initial discussions
with sector officials, a Bank team visited both Amritsar and
Ludhiana cities to identify priority service level
innovations and institutional challenges that have to be
addressed under this NLTA for achieving desired
transformative change. Currently, water supply is drawn from
hundreds of unprotected bore wells across length and breadth
of the city - which supply polluted water through an
unplanned haphazard network. Utility, fully owned by the
municipal corporation, will have operational autonomy to
manage water and waste water services, whilst still be
accountable to the corporation. Financial position will
become clear, it can focus on becoming financially
self-sustaining. The utility will make long term plans for
water supply and sewage; and with government support may
also be able to mobilize resources through this is unlikely
in the short term in Amritsar.