Water management: A fresh start in Jodhpur

Jodhpur is the second largest city in the State of Rajasthan. As the gateway to the Thar Desert, the city has very little surface water of its own. Climate change is likely to put more strain on already scare resources.

 

Rapid population growth, combined with a lack of adequate water infrastructure, had an adverse impact on the city’s water services and on the quality of life of its inhabitants. There were also significant water and energy loss.

 

The project, implemented by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), with assistance from AFD, aims to extend and improve the service performance, based on redeveloped and lower-carbon infrastructure.

AFD’s financing is based on two phases. The first mainly aims to develop a sustainable drinking water system and to make energy savings through the rehabilitation of the existing infrastructures as well as the replacement of the electromechanical equipment.

 

The objective of phase 2 is to extend the service to new users, in a context of rapid urban growth, and to improve the technical performances of the service (reduction of water loss, service continuity, development of appropriate information systems).

 

Finally, the project will improve financial performance through a more effective commercial management and the control of energy consumption. Measures have been initiated to promote the use of additional alternative water resources (rainwater, groundwater, wastewater).

• The substantial redevelopment of Jodhpur’s drinking water supply system, as well as the energy efficiency and hydraulic measures, will result in positive environmental impacts, including the control of greenhouse gas emissions and the reduction in water loss in the entire system
• The project also contributes to service improvement, by an increase in capacity, a controlled extension of the distribution network, and more efficient service management
• 300,000 more people in Jodhpur will benefit from clean, drinking water by the end of 2018.