A World Bank Group (WBG) delegation, comprising representatives from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), met Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) officials on Friday to discuss financing and technical assistance for urban infrastructure projects, including water supply, flood mitigation and sewerage networks in newly merged villages.
Discussions focused on two major proposals under the Urban Challenge Fund (UCF): an ₹ 890-crore water supply project covering 12 newly merged villages and a ₹ 400-crore flood mitigation plan targeting 304 identified locations. The delegation, led by Mara Warwick, regional practice director for water, IBRD, met municipal commissioner Naval Kishore Ram and additional municipal commissioners Pavneet Kaur and Om Prakash Divate.
She said WBG could support cities through a suitable combination of financing and technical assistance. Ram highlighted the infrastructure challenges arising from Pune’s expanding municipal limits and stressed the need for reliable civic services, effective drainage, timely project implementation and appropriate technologies. He also requested exposure visits for civic officers to study international best practices in water supply and urban service delivery. Warwick emphasised the importance of city-level leadership, institutional capacity and sustainable financing in urban development. The visiting delegation appreciated PMC’s integrated approach to infrastructure planning. The delegation also discussed improving revenue collection, mobilising commercial capital and strengthening governance and utility models to ensure the long-term sustainability of civic services. Senior representatives from the IBRD and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), along with PMC’s engineering, water supply, roads and finance officials, attended the meeting.
The water supply project is expected to benefit around four lakh people initially, with coverage projected to increase to 7.78 lakh by 2052. Officials said price discovery had been completed through the banking process at a competitive interest rate of 7.3%. Sewerage proposals for the newly merged villages, comprising seven sewage treatment plants and approximately 357 km of sewer network, were also discussed.
The flood mitigation plan includes nullah development, culvert construction and improvements to stormwater drainage. Other priorities included reducing non-revenue water, improving distribution efficiency, promoting treated wastewater reuse and exploring a dedicated water and wastewater utility model.
