India, ADB sign $50 mn loan pact for water harvesting project in Meghalaya

The Union Government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) today signed a $50 million loan agreement aimed at enhancing water security by constructing water-harvesting systems to improve access to water and reducing community vulnerability against climate change impacts in Meghalaya.

The project will support the construction of 532 small water-storage facilities across 12 districts. These facilities will incorporate climate-resilient designs to capture and manage heavy rainfall and flash floods during monsoon season. The stored water shall improve water security during the dry season. The project will develop 3,000 hectares of command area to provide reliable irrigation areas for farmers. It will establish 50 weather stations for climate data gathering and monitoring, and micro-irrigation systems in Garo, Jaintia, and Khasi regions. The project will also pilot-test renewable energy micro-hydropower in three water harvesting systems.

Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance said the project aligned with the Meghalaya State Water Policy (MSWP) 2019, which seeks to achieve sustainable development, management and utilisation of the state’s water resources through a participatory approach, reduce vulnerability, and promote integrated water resource management.

“ADB’s value addition will involve assisting the state in implementing the MSWP,” a senior ADB official said.