Parliament Committee passes bill on water supply project in Naryn region in 2nd reading

AKIPRESS.COM - The International Affairs, Defense and Security Committee of the Parliament of Kyrgyzstan approved ratification of the loan and grant agreement between Kyrgyzstan and the Asian Development Bank on the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Development Program in Naryn region in the 2nd reading. According to State Water Resources Agency Director Kokumbek Tashtanaliev, almost 90,000 people will obtain access to potable water as a result of the project.
The Asian Development Bank provides $13.7 million in grants and $13.7 million in loans for the implementation of the project.
Additionally, co-financing of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic will be $5.5 million to cover taxes and fees, as well as to support project implementation.
Naryn is a mountainous province and one of the poorest in the Kyrgyz Republic, with a poverty rate of 29% in 2017. Naryn's resident population was estimated at 287,000 in 2018 across Naryn township and 165 villages. In 2009, the urban population share was 15.3%. The ADB-supported Bishkek Torugart road traverses through Naryn and connects Bishkek to the People's Republic of China (PRC), providing regional connectivity with Central Asian neighbors and opportunities for rural development. Most villages in Naryn have unprotected water sources. Incidences of waterborne diseases are high in Naryn. The program will cover 64,000 people in Naryn and will support the design, construction, and rehabilitation of WSS facilities; and institutional capacity to provide sustainable and safe WSS services across 31 program villages. In addition, the program will ensure that detailed designs are completed for 12 program villages and ready them for implementation when additional financing becomes available.