India & ADB Sign $61 Million Loan

India & ADB Sign $61 Million Loan

Part of: GS Prelims

In News: The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) signed a $61 million loan to improve livability, harness technology, and promote new developments to accommodate the expanding population in Agartala city while building capacity of state agencies for improved service delivery.

• The project is aligned to the vision of the Government of India’s Smart City Mission to upgrade urban infrastructure services and will improve livability in Agartala with provision of better road connectivity, flood resilient measures and making tourist places more attractive.
• ADB will catalyze synergies with the smart city components being implemented in Agartala through an underground utility corridor with shifting of electrical lines, incorporating elderly, women, children, and differently abled responsive features, improving road geometry along with urban design interventions
• The provision of an asset management and sustainability strategy, capacity-building of tourism operators and livelihood improvement of street vendors and artisans, will serve as a model to other assets and tourist attractions in Agartala, and other cities in the state of Tripura.

The Project 

• Will build and upgrade 48 kilometers (km) of new or existing storm water drainage 
• Construct 23 km of climate-resilient urban roads
• Renovating open spaces and creating water recreation and lakeside walkways in the Maharaja Bir Bikram College lake and the Ujjayanta Palace which are major tourist attractions in the city.

News Source: PIB