Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Three international organizations will allocate a capital grant worth five million euros to modernize Kyrgyzstan's Talas city's water and wastewater services.

In particular, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) will allocate a loan of up to 2 million euros, the EU's Investment Facility for Central Asia-1.85 million euros (this is the first allocation to Kyrgyzstan under the facility), and the World Bank Global Environmental Facility's Special Climate Change Fund-1.15 million euros, EBRD said on January 27.

Also, the local municipal water company will receive technical cooperation funding from the Czech Republic, Finland, and the EU.

Clean drinking water and rehabilitation of wastewater management is one of the biggest priorities for Talas, a city in the north of Kyrgyzstan, close to the Kazakh border, with a population of over 45,000.

Currently the water losses are huge and supply intermittent. The wastewater system has collapsed and untreated wastewater forms pools in the basement of apartment buildings, with endemic water borne disease as a result.

Head of the EBRD Bishkek Resident Office Larisa Manastirli said Talas has abundant sources of water as many other areas in Central Asia.

"Its challenge is to ensure that clean and safe water reaches people and to restore wastewater management. The project we are supporting is going to greatly improve people's lives," she noted.

Mayor of Talas Anarbek Kushubekov believes these investments are very important for the Talas city and will have very positive effect on social and economic development of the population.

The modernization of water and wastewater services in Kyrgyz cities is a priority for the EBRD, which has developed a dedicated financing facility for the purpose.

Currently, the EBRD has provided financing to six cities in the country to support critical investments in the water supply and waste water networks and is considering further expansion throughout the country to smaller cities.

The EBRD has invested over 450 million euros in more than 105 projects in Kyrgyzstan.