In an effort to increase urban liveability and fortify climate resilience, India and the Asian Development Bank announced a $125 million credit agreement recently to upgrade Assamese water and drainage systems. About 360,000 households will receive continuous metered water supplies and improved stormwater management thanks to the Assam Urban Sector Development Project. The initiative focusses on Guwahati and the six district headquarters: Barpeta, Bongaigaon, Dhubri, Goalpara, Golaghat, and Nalbari. The agreement was signed by the ADB’s India Resident Mission and India’s Department of Economic Affairs.

According to officials, the programme would provide digital tools to improve efficiency and modernise urban governance through capacity training and institutional reforms. Six water treatment facilities with a combined daily capacity of 72 million litres will be built thanks to the financing. The district towns will be served by around 800 km of new distribution pipelines. To keep non-revenue water below 20 per cent, a real-time monitoring system will be put in place.

The Bahini Basin’s stormwater management will be the main area of investment in Guwahati. Improved drainage, flood diversion channels, and a nature-based retention pond are among the projects to lessen runoff and replenish groundwater. According to officials, these actions are essential to enhancing Assam’s climate resilience. In collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, the initiative would create the Assam State Institute for Urban Development. New reforms in project towns include volumetric tariffs, computerised water billing, and a property tax database based on geographic information systems.

According to authorities, these adjustments will improve service delivery and promote long-term financial sustainability. ADB emphasised that a fundamental component of the programme is gender inclusion. College-age women will be supported through internships, and women’s self-help groups will receive training in water operations. School outreach initiatives will raise awareness of sanitation, hygiene, and water. The project would “provide sustainable urban services while strengthening climate resilience across Assam,” according to ADB Country Director Mio Oka.