Government of India and the World Bank signed a $450 million loan agreement on 17 February. The agreement aims to support the national programme to arrest the depleting groundwater levels and strengthen groundwater institutions in India. The loan agreement was signed by Shri Sameer Kumar Khare, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and Mr. Junaid Ahmad, India Director, India on behalf of the World Bank. Agreement Provision: The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY)-National Groundwater Management Improvement Programme is supported by the World Bank. The agreement will allow the implementation of the ABHY scheme in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and cover 78 districts. The programme will enhance the recharge of aquifers and introduce water conservation practices. It will promote activities related to water harvesting, water management, and crop alignment and equip communities and stakeholders to sustainably manage groundwater. It will support on-ground actions that are based on community ownership and judicious management of water resources.
