In India, a nationwide waterworks development plan was initiated after independence, and in addition to the central government’s initiative to improve facilities in each five-year plan, financial and technical cooperation from foreign aid agencies has also been provided. As a result, at the beginning of the 8th Five-Year Plan (April 1992 – March 1997), the waterworks coverage rate had reached 85% in urban areas and 78% in rural areas. In Kerala, however, the water supply coverage was 74% in urban areas and 46% in rural areas as of March 1996, lagging behind the national average. In addition, in some areas of the state, there were many areas where safe water was not available due to groundwater contamination. This cooperation aimed to provide stable water supply services to meet the increasing water demand in the southern state of Kerala, and to contribute to the improvement of the living environment of the residents in the region.
© Source JICA