World Bank, AIIB joint team reviews progress of bulk water supply scheme

A seven-member joint team of the World Bank and Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) visited the city to assess the progress of the Amritsar Bulk Water Supply Scheme (ABWSS), a project initiated to provide residents with continuous access to clean drinking water.

During their visit, the joint team of the World Bank and AIIB inspected the construction sites of water tanks at New Amritsar, Sau Futti Road, Skatari Bagh, Roop Nagar and Medical College. They also reviewed the pipeline-laying work at the Sultanwind-Tarn Taran bypass and the Vallah bypass and the work of construction of the water treatment plant at Vallah.

The Amritsar Municipal Corporation is implementing the Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project with the support of the World Bank and AIIB. Under this project, the ABWSS is being developed, which aims to treat water from the Upper Bari Doab Canal and supply it to households across the city.

As part of this scheme, a state-of-the-art water treatment plant is being constructed near Vallah. Additionally, the project includes the construction of 45 new water tanks and the laying of a 112-km-long pipeline network throughout the city.

Following the site visit, Surinder Singh, Additional Commissioner, MC, held a project review meeting with the visiting team. He informed them that various measures have been taken to expedite the project, which have resulted in significant progress in construction activities.

He also mentioned that the long-pending no-objection certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Defence for laying the pipeline has been obtained and work has now commenced. Rosanna Nitti, Srinivas Reddy, Dr BKD Raja, Navika Chaudhary, and Charu Jain from the World Bank, Ankur and Eva from AIIB along with Harsatinder Singh Dhillon (GM, Projects, PMIDC), Kuldeep Singh Saini (Project Manager), Jitin Vasudeva (XEN), and Narinderpal Singh, among others were also present on the occasion.

Amritsar