The Thane Municipal Corporation is in talks with the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the central government to secure financial aid for water recycling, solid waste management, and other sustainable infrastructure projects.
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The Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) is actively working towards securing financial assistance from the central government and international financial institutions for its various environmentally sustainable projects. As part of this effort, preliminary discussions have been held with the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which has agreed to support the corporation in exploring funding options, according to Thane Municipal Commissioner Saurabh Rao.
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A formal agreement between the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and the Maharashtra state government, with the approval of the Central Government of India, has been established to facilitate financial aid for various developmental projects undertaken by local governing bodies. Under this framework, IFC is assisting select municipal corporations across the state in obtaining funding, with Thane being one of the beneficiaries.
A preliminary meeting was held on Wednesday at the Thane Municipal Corporation's Urban Research Centre under the chairmanship of Commissioner Saurabh Rao. Representatives from IFC, City Engineer Prashant Sonagra, Chief Accounts and Finance Officer Dilip Suryavanshi, Deputy City Engineers Vikas Dhole, Vinod Pawar, and Gunwant Zambre, as well as Chief Environmental Officer Manisha Pradhan, were present. Additionally, representatives from the Maharashtra Government’s MITRA (Municipal Infrastructure and Technology for Resilient and Agile Cities) initiative participated in the meeting virtually.
The TMC has committed itself to water recycling initiatives and has developed an action plan in collaboration with CEEW (Council on Energy, Environment and Water). In the first phase, the municipal body aims to establish a 100 MLD (million litres per day) advanced water purification plant to convert sewage water into high-purity reusable water. This pilot project is estimated to cost around ₹500 crore.
Discussions are currently underway to determine funding sources, repayment mechanisms, potential buyers of the treated water, and pricing structures. The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has agreed to conduct a detailed assessment of the proposal and suggest various funding alternatives, as confirmed by Commissioner Saurabh Rao.
In addition to the water recycling project, Commissioner Rao has directed officials to assess possible financial support from the central government or international finance institutions for various other essential infrastructure projects, including:
- Water supply schemes
- Installation of new water pipelines
- Expansion of the sewage network
- Solid waste management facilities
- Conservation and rejuvenation of city lakes
The city engineers have been instructed to compile detailed project reports for these initiatives and submit them for further evaluation.
Under the Government of India’s various urban development schemes, financial aid is provided to local governing bodies for infrastructural and developmental projects. Additionally, the recently announced ‘Urban Challenge Fund’ in the Union Budget presents further funding opportunities for municipal projects. IFC will assess which of TMC’s proposed projects could qualify for financial support under this initiative, Commissioner Rao stated.
For more updates, the Thane Municipal Corporation can be contacted through the following platforms:
Official Website: www.thanecity.gov.in
E-mail: publicrelationtmc@gmail.com
Twitter: @TMCaTweetAway
Instagram: @smartcity_thane
Disaster Management Helpline: 1800-222-108 / 8657887101
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