India & World Bank sign $ 450 mn loan agreement to support Atal Bhujal Yojana

The World Bank has signed a USD 450 million loan agreement with India to support the Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) – National Groundwater Management Improvement Programme.
The loan will support the national programme to arrest the country’s depleting groundwater levels and strengthen groundwater institutions.
The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABHY) will be implemented in the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh and cover 78 districts.
Atal Bhujal Yojana is an initiative designed with the objective of strengthening the institutional framework for participatory groundwater management and bringing about behavioral changes at the community level for sustainable groundwater resource management in seven States namely Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Total Outlay: Rs. 6000 crore to be implemented over a period of 5 years (2020-21 to 2024-25).
Of the total amount, 50% shall be in the form of World Bank loan and be repaid by the Central Government.
The remaining 50% shall be through Central Assistance from regular budgetary support.