India: Punjab Municipal Services Improvement Project

approved

This project will be co-financed with the World Bank (WB) and comprises the following four components: (i) Strengthening urban service delivery systems. This component will include Technical Assistance, training, equipment and studies to support Amritsar's and Ludhiana's transition into more financially sustainable, administratively efficient, focused on gender and workplace diversity, technically capable and institutionally accountable municipal corporations; (ii) Improving water supply infrastructure. The component will finance water supply infrastructure - raw water intake structures, water treatment plants (WTP, 440 MLD in Amritsar and 580 MLD in Ludhiana), clear water pumping systems, transmission lines and overhead storage reservoirs (OHSRs) in both cities; (iii) COVID-19 crisis response. This component will provide funds to the PMIDC, which will be rolled out as block grants to the thirteen MCs based on objective criteria, to finance short- to medium-term non-medical interventions to address the COVID-19 crisis; and (iv) Project management. This component will support various project management activities, including but not limited to: incremental operating costs, social and environmental safeguards management and fiduciary management, monitoring and evaluation activities, and technical and other studies.