The World Bank approved Pakistan loan of $300 million for a water and sanitation project in rural Sindh. Under the project, solar-powered water supply systems will be set up in rural areas of the province, along with a modern drainage and sanitation system. The World Bank is an international lender that provides loans and grants for development work in its member countries, including Pakistan.
What the project is meant to achieve
The bank says the project will deliver professional water and sanitation services to 80 percent of the rural population in Sindh. It is also expected to help tackle malnutrition and poor growth among children. According to the bank, more than half of children under five in rural Sindh are stunted, meaning they are shorter than expected for their age.
The work forms part of a 10-year clean water and sanitation plan for Sindh, which will be completed in four phases.
Funding and the wider portfolio
The first phase will cost $540 million in total. The Asian Development Bank, a regional development lender, will provide $150 million, while the Sindh government will contribute $90 million. The $300 million World Bank loan covers the remaining share of that first-phase total, which is the amount left after the other two contributions are subtracted (540 minus 150 and 90).
Pakistan currently has 47 projects backed by the World Bank, with a combined value of about $16.1 billion. The new Sindh scheme adds to the World Bank projects in Pakistan, though the $16.1 billion figure refers to the total value of those projects rather than to a single loan.
What happens next
The first phase is the opening stage of the four-phase plan, and the remaining phases will follow over the decade-long programme. Progress is therefore expected to be gradual, with new rural water systems added in stages rather than all at once.
Aasan alfaaz mein
World Bank ne Pakistan ke liye 30 crore dollar (300 million dollar) ka loan manzoor kiya hai. Ye paisa dehi Sindh mein solar se chalne wale paani ke nizam aur nikasi-e-aab ke kaam par lagega. Sindh ki 80 fisad dehi abadi ko saaf paani aur safai ki behtar services milne ki umeed hai. Ye kaam 10 saal ke plan ke tahat 4 marahil mein mukammal hoga.
