Azerbaijan, Baku, August 4 / Trend E. Kosolapova/
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is investing €2 million to help improve the supply of water to about 40,000 people living in the city of Kara-Balta, which is one of the largest industrial and transport hubs in the northern part of the Kyrgyzstan, the bank reported on Friday.
With the Bank's support the Kara-Balta Water Company will carry out significant rehabilitation and modernization of water and wastewater networks - pump upgrades, installation of household/bulk meters and chlorination equipment. This will enable the water supply and wastewater services to meet local requirements and to move towards achieving full compliance with EU standards.
The project will be financed by a €2 million loan to Kara-Balta Water Company and grant funds of €3 million from the EBRD Shareholder Special Fund.
Additional grants of €1.3 million from the EBRD will be used to support project implementation and to provide technical assistance to strengthen operational and financial sustainability of the Kara-Balta Water Company.
"The project will allow the city to rehabilitate the water networks, install consumer metering to provide a management tool for leakage detection and to replace depleted water pumps. These measures will lead to a reduction of leakage as well as a reduction of excessive use of water at household level. As a consequence operating and maintenance costs for water supply will be reduced as well," Kyrgyz Finance Minister Akylbek Japarov said speaking at the signing ceremony in Kara-Balta.
Since the beginning of its operations in the Kyrgyz Republic, the EBRD has invested over €414 million in more than 84 projects in the infrastructure, corporate, energy and financial sectors.