SMC plans to borrow Rs1,925 crore from World Bank
TNN | Mar 2, 2019, 04:00 ISTSurat: The standing committee of Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has approved a proposal to procure loan of Rs1,925 crore from World Bank. The money will be used on pollution-free development projects and also to conduct a study along with Gujarat Engineering Research Institute (GERI) and Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) on pollution in the city.
Jawalant Naik, environment engineer, SMC, told TOI, “SMC will need money from a financial body like World Bank to undertake a number of development projects in 2019-21. The standing committee has approved the proposal and hence we will beginning the loan procurement process soon. We have identified projects in different segments in which SMC’s contribution will be around 20 per cent maximum. The civic body will receive subsidies to the tune of 25 per cent from the state government.”
A team from World Bank had evinced interest in teaming up with SMC in undertaking a number of environmental friendly projects. The civic body will be undertaking construction of roads, bridges, traffic islands, gardens, sewage and solid waste disposal projects in the next few years.
Meanwhile, a separate proposal on measuring air quality in the city was also approved by the standing committee. A SMC team along with Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Gujarat Engineering Research Institute (GERI) will measure air quality in different parts of the city. The study will find out causes for pollution and recommend measures to tackle it.
12 AIR QUALITY MONITORING MACHINES TO BE INSTALLED
The civic body plans to install another 15 air pollution monitoring machines in the city soon after Lok Sabha elections. Two machines are already functioning at Varachha and Limbayat areas.
A SMC officer said, “We are waiting for National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) guidelines. It will stipulate air quality monitoring machines according to a city’s size.”
SMC officials had earlier planned to have at least two machines in all the eight municipal zones of the city. The cost of one air pollution monitoring machine is approximately Rs50 lakh.
Jawalant Naik, environment engineer, SMC, told TOI, “SMC will need money from a financial body like World Bank to undertake a number of development projects in 2019-21. The standing committee has approved the proposal and hence we will beginning the loan procurement process soon. We have identified projects in different segments in which SMC’s contribution will be around 20 per cent maximum. The civic body will receive subsidies to the tune of 25 per cent from the state government.”
A team from World Bank had evinced interest in teaming up with SMC in undertaking a number of environmental friendly projects. The civic body will be undertaking construction of roads, bridges, traffic islands, gardens, sewage and solid waste disposal projects in the next few years.
Meanwhile, a separate proposal on measuring air quality in the city was also approved by the standing committee. A SMC team along with Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and Gujarat Engineering Research Institute (GERI) will measure air quality in different parts of the city. The study will find out causes for pollution and recommend measures to tackle it.
12 AIR QUALITY MONITORING MACHINES TO BE INSTALLED
The civic body plans to install another 15 air pollution monitoring machines in the city soon after Lok Sabha elections. Two machines are already functioning at Varachha and Limbayat areas.
A SMC officer said, “We are waiting for National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) guidelines. It will stipulate air quality monitoring machines according to a city’s size.”
SMC officials had earlier planned to have at least two machines in all the eight municipal zones of the city. The cost of one air pollution monitoring machine is approximately Rs50 lakh.
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