New Delhi, January 19, 2006 The Government of India and the World Bank today signed a loan agreement of US$105 million for the Hydrology Project Phase II.
Mr. Madhusudan Prasad, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Government of India signed on behalf of the Government of India. Mr. Michael F. Carter, World Bank Country Director, India, signed on behalf of the World Bank. The other signatories to the loan agreement included representatives from the state governments of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Pondicherry, Punjab and Tamil Nadu.(see box )
The Hydrology II project will extend and promote the sustained and effective use of the Hydrological Information System, established under the India Hydrology-I Project, by all potential users concerned with water resources planning and management, both public and private. In so doing, it will improve productivity and cost-effectiveness of water-related investments in the 13 states and eight central agencies covered.
In large parts of the country, fresh water resources available per person are reducing; groundwater levels are falling; and the water quality is deteriorating. These stresses have led to competing demands and disputes among users, including states. One of the key requirements for comprehensive water resources management is a sound hydrological data base, which is an essential prerequisite of modern planning and design tools. An inadequate or unreliable hydrological data base, associated with a lack of processing and modeling capabilities within agencies, has been a significant constraint in the design and operation of projects in the water sector.
Across the country, water is increasingly becoming a scarce commodity.
Improved management of water resources through better knowledge of available options is one of the effective routes for averting possible crises in future.
said Michael Carter, World Bank Country Director, India. The Hydrology Project Phase II aims at equipping participating State and Central agencies with knowledge on availability of water resources, both surface and ground , and help them optimize water development and utilization."
The data base developed under the first Hydrology Project (HP-I) provided uniform, acceptable and accessible hydrological records in the nine states and six central agencies it covered. But the system continues to be deficient in terms of geographic coverage and use of modern analytical tools and skilled manpower for hydrologic modeling and analyses.
The second phase, supported by this loan, will expand the coverage to four more states (Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Pondicherry and Punjab) and two central agencies (the Central Pollution Control Board and the Bhakra-Beas Management Board). A longer-term aim of the project is to assist the governments at both central and state levels with regard to issues of intra-sectoral demands, and overall resource planning and management.
The project will create a robust hydrological data base, improving the access and use of hydrologic data by the public and private sectors, and civil society, said Prabir Joardar, World Bank Task Team Leader for the project.
The project has three main components:
1. Institutional strengthening, which includes consolidation of recently concluded Hydrology Project (HP-I) activities in the existing states; awareness raising, dissemination and knowledge sharing among users; and, implementation support.
2. Vertical Extension, which comprises the development of hydrological design aids; the development of decision support systems; and, implementation of purpose-driven studies.
3. Horizontal Expansion, including the establishment of a data collection network; the establishment of data processing and management systems; the creation of purpose-driven studies; and training.
The project will be implemented over a period of six years by the Ministry of Water Resources. The existing National Level Steering Committee will continue as the apex body responsible for overall administrative, management and coordination. The loan, from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, has a 20-year maturity with a 5-year grace period and a 0.75 percent commitment fee.
Signatories to the Loan Agreement from the state governments :
Government of Andhra Pradesh : Mr. Abhay Tripathi, Additional Commissioner Government of Chhattisgarh : Mr. S V Prabhat, Resident Commissioner Government of Goa : Mr. Sandeep Nadkarni, Chief Engineer, Dept. of Water Resources Government of Gujarat : Mr. R L Meena, Principal Resident Commissioner, Government of Himachal Pradesh : Mrs. Renu Sahni Dhar, Principal Resident Commissioner Government of Karnataka : Mrs. Amita Prasad, Commissioner, Water Resources Development and ex-officio Secretary Water Resources Department Government of Kerala : Mr. P. Michael Vetha Siromany, Resident Commissioner Government of Madhya Pradesh : Mr. Rajan Katoch, Resident Commissioner Government of Maharashtra : Mrs. Chitkala Zutshi, Resident Special Commissioner Government of Orissa : Mr. S K Sehrawat, Additional Resident Commissioner Government of Pondicherry : Mr. Ravideep Singh Chahar, Additional Deputy Resident Commissioner Government of Punjab : Mr. Amitabh Pandey, Principal Resident Commissioner Government of Tamil Nadu. : Mr. Jasbir Singh Bajaj, Joint Resident Commissioner
For more information on the World Banks activities in India, visit:
http://www.worldbank.org.in/
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