<span style="color: #222222;">India and the Asian Development Bank today signed a 125 million dollar loan to improve access to safe and affordable drinking water supply and sanitation services in Dehradun and Nainital in Uttarakhand. The agreement was signed between Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Rajat Kumar Mishra and Country Director of Asian Development Bank's India Resident Mission Takeo Konishi.<br />''<br />''The project will construct 136 kilometers of water pipe system to replace defective water networks in South Dehradun to ensure reliable and continuous water supply. It will benefit more than 40 thousand people, including four thousand urban poor and vulnerable groups. Water meters will also be installed in about five thousand 400 households to support efficient water use and consumption billing. In addition, the project will establish sewage treatment plants in Dehradun, supported by 256 kilometer of enclosed underground sewer networks and 117 kilometer of storm water drainage networks.</span><br />