'French team visits Sec 39 waterworks to focus on 24X7 water supply project' shares K J S Chatrath

 

French team visits Sec 39 waterworks to focus on 24X7 water supply project reports 'The Indian Express' Chandigarh in its edition dated September 21, 2024.

Is water supply more complicated than rocket science? Indians have handled rocket-science so very well. Can't we handle a 24X7 water supply scheme on our own? 

And mind you, the project involves an investment of 59.38 Euros-comprising Euros 48 million (Indian Rupees 4,44,55,19,631) on loan from AFD (Agence Française de Développement) and Euros 11.38 million in grants from the European Union.

It is presumed that the loan component will have to be repaid with interest over the next few decades. And who will repay the loan- the water consumers of Chandigarh for the next few decades with their water consumption charges, month after month. 

Chandigarh will have to repay one million Euros every quarter for the next 15 years to French bank Agence De Francaise (AFD) to ensure 24-hour water supply in the city. Chandigarh civic body has taken a loan of 48 million Euros from the AFD for the project.The loan of 48 Million Euro, which translates to Rs 412 crore in the Indian currency, is required to be repaid over a period of 15 years after the completion of the 24×7 water supply project, that is from December 2029, on a quarterly basis. The installment will be around 1 million Euro quarterly which is Rs 10 crore.

According to the new tariff, from 2029, Chandigarh residents will have to pay between Rs 5 per kilolitre to Rs 24 per kilolitre (water tariff differs due to different charges at different stages) instead of the present range of Rs 3 per kilolitre to Rs 20 per kilolitre, as reported earlier by the Indian Express on

Please do correct me if I am wrong.