Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- In recent years, the volume of investments in the form of loans and grants allocated for projects implemented jointly with international financial institutions in order to further increase the level of provision of the country’s population with clean drinking water and sewerage services has increased several times.

Over the past period of this year, a loan agreement for US$239 million was signed with the World Bank, for US$70 million with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and a grant agreement for US$7.8 million with the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

It is worth noting that in the period from January to September of this year, funds from international financial institutions in the amount of US$98.8 million were spent, thereby fulfilling the forecast 2.9 percent.

The main share of disbursed funds in the context of international financial institutions falls on the Asian Development Bank (US$43.1 million), the World Bank (US$30.5 million), the Islamic Development Bank (US$17 million).

At the expense of these borrowed funds, in 9 months of 2021, a total of 151.8 kilometers of water supply and 112.9 kilometers of sewerage networks were laid, as well as a number of facilities were built.

In particular, within the framework of the project "Improving drinking water supply in the Alat and Karakul districts of the Bukhara region" implemented with the participation of the World Bank, the Dvoinik water treatment plant with a capacity of 50 thousand cubic meters per day, 4 water distribution structures were reconstructed, 52 km of main and 160 km of additional water pipes were laid, 280 km of urban internal and 1,936 km of rural distribution networks.

As a result of the full launch of the project on November 30 of this year, residents of the Alat region will be fully provided with drinking water, and in the Karakul region this figure will reach 92 percent. More precisely, more than 91 thousand residents of Alat and 139 thousand residents of Karakul districts will have access to clean drinking water.

Within the framework of another project with the participation of the World Bank "Reconstruction of the sewage systems of Bukhara and Samarkand (Phase 2)" in Samarkand, a sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 139 thousand cubic meters per day and a sewage treatment plant "Farkhod" with a capacity of 3 thousand cubic meters per day were completely reconstructed, 6 sewage pumping stations and 91.7 km of sewage collectors, 34.3 km of sewage collectors were reconstructed. In addition, 7 sewage pumping stations and 58 km of sewer collectors were reconstructed in Bukhara, 43.4 km of collectors were built.

This project will be fully launched on November 30, resulting in improved sewerage services for 282 thousand residents of Bukhara and more than 304 thousand residents of Samarkand.

Within the framework of the next large project with the participation of the Asian Development Bank, which provides for drinking water supply to residents of Qibray, Zangiata and Chinaz districts of Tashkent region, the construction of the Kadyrinsky water treatment plant with a capacity of 100 thousand cubic meters and 21 km of main pipes has been completed. At the first stage, the drinking water supply of 66 thousand residents of Qibray region was improved.

In order to widely attract funds from international institutions, the next 5 years, it is planned to implement 23 projects aimed at improving drinking water supply and sewerage services.

For these purposes, IFI funds will be attracted in the amount of US$2.1 billion.

In particular, the following large projects will be implemented at the expense of international financial institutions.

- By attracting a total of US$703.8 million within the framework of the project "Development and modernization of water supply and sewerage systems in Bukhara region (1st and 2nd phases)" implemented with the participation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, a water construction, 8 sewerage treatment facilities will be built, as well as 4 592.7 km of water supply and 1247 km of sewerage networks will be laid.

- By attracting funds in the amount of US$172.3 million within the framework of the project "Development of drinking water supply systems in the western part of Uzbekistan" implemented with the participation of the Asian Development Bank, 3 water structures will be built in the project area and 1,235.8 km of water pipes will be laid.

- By attracting US$66 million within the framework of the project with the participation of the World Bank "Reconstruction of water and sewerage treatment facilities and sewerage systems in the city of Kattakurgan, Samarkand region" 48.9 km of sewerage networks will be laid.

- By attracting US$51 million within the framework of the project implemented with the participation of the Saudi Fund for Development and the OPEC Fund for International Development on the reconstruction of the water supply system of the centers of Kasan and Mubarek districts, as well as rural settlements near the water intakes of the Kitab-Shakhrisabz groundwater sources in the project area water structure and laid 801 km of water pipes will be constructed.

These and other large projects implemented by Uzsuvtaminot are undoubtedly aimed at ensuring welfare, improving the living conditions of the country’s population.