Guwahati, Dec. 22: The Asian Development Bank has kickstarted the Assam Urban Infrastructure Project and identified two towns, Guwahati and Dibrugarh, for assistance.

Sources said the idea behind the starting the proposed project was to provide a good opportunity for the Assam government and ADB to start a long-term strategic urban development partnership, covering water supply, sewerage treatment, drainage, solid waste management and development of a bus rapid transit system corridor in the two cities.

The ADB Country Business Operations Plan (2011-13) said it would provide support to Assam, which has been identified as a weak state, to reinforce the government’s efforts to bridge inter-state economic disparities and create conditions for inclusive growth.

The exact scope of the project will be finalised through detailed sub-project appraisal reports and thorough discussions with the concerned organisations during preparation.

The Guwahati development department will be the executing agency for Guwahati while the urban development department of the Assam government will do the same for Dibrugarh.

For Dibrugarh, this will be the first time it will get help from an international financial institution.

Guwahati already has got assistance from the Japan International Co-operation Agency in the water supply sector.

The need for taking help from external agencies has arisen, as a huge investment is required to meet the urban development needs.

A detailed work plan will have to be prepared to strengthen the project design and monitoring framework and indicators for the project.

It will also examine how limited urban service delivery becomes a constraint for balanced economic growth, poverty reduction and gender development and identify key success factors for achieving higher efficiency and economy in urban service delivery, based on other states’ experiences. The plan will strengthen the institutional arrangements for the project and update the city development plan for Guwahati as needed.

A city development plan for Guwahati was prepared once under Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, which focused on the development of infrastructure and devised strategies that deal specifically with issues affecting the urban poor, strengthening of municipal governments, financial accounting and others.

The bank last year had approved assistance of $285.7 million to five capital cities of the Northeast, of which ADB provided $200 million to improve infrastructure, water supply, and sanitation in Shillong, Aizawl, Kohima, Gangtok and Agartala, benefiting an estimated 1.2 million people.

For Guwahati, the sectors, which have been identified for assistance, are water supply, sewerage, transportation and social amenities. For Dibrugarh investments in drainage, solid waste management and basic services for the poor have been identified.