The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a US$105.3 million loan to help rehabilitate and expand the provinceal water supply system in the Yangiyul and Chinaz districts of Tashkent Province in Uzbekistan, delivering safe potable water to over 220,000 people.
Tashkent Province, Uzbekistan’s largest and most economically advanced province generating almost 25% of the country’s gross domestic product, suffers from pervasive urban service limitations, particularly in water supply and sanitation (WSS). Most of its Soviet-era WSS infrastructure are deteriorated and outdated, with about 80% of residents in the two project districts unable to receive municipal water supplies and forced to purchase or obtain unsafe water from various sources.
“Reliable and safe water supply and sanitation service is crucial for a growing area like Tashkent Province, particularly in its importance in the overall economy and development of Uzbekistan,” said ADB Senior Urban Development Specialist for Central and West Asia Mr. Jung Ho Kim. “ADB’s loan to expand and rehabilitate WSS services in the two districts will not only provide safe drinking water but also improve the quality of life of residents in Tashkent Province.”
The Second Tashkent Province Water Supply Development Project will finance the rehabilitation and improvement of the VU-1 provinceal water supply system in Tashkent Province. This includes the construction of 65 kilometers (km) of transmission mains; 27 km of distribution mains; 540 km of distribution network; 37 water reservoirs; 22 water distribution centers; 5 pressure towers; 2 administration buildings; 2 water quality laboratories; 37,500 metered water supply connections; and 4,000 individual wastewater disposal systems—which is a first in Uzbekistan.
ADB’s assistance include the initiation of smart technology features including supervisory control and data acquisition, geographic information system, and meters for improved billing and increased revenue. This is on top of a pilot public-private partnership initiative to invite private contractors to carry out operation and maintenance of water supply facilities in some settlements.
