Lucknow, March 17: With the aim of improving air quality in Uttar Pradesh, the World Bank, Government of India and the state government have signed an important agreement in New Delhi. This agreement will provide assistance of US $ 299.66 million to the Uttar Pradesh Clean Air Management Program.
The main objective of the program is to promote integrated solutions for air quality and cleanliness in key sectors like transport, agriculture and industry, which will benefit not only UP but also the neighboring states.
The UP government issued a press release here on Tuesday stating that the MoU was signed by B. Chandrakala CEO of Clean Air Management Authority and Secretary of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government.
The MoU was signed by B. Chandrakala, Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, on behalf of the Government of India, and Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, India, on behalf of the World Bank.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath stated that Uttar Pradesh is poised to become a trillion-dollar economy. Economic growth, productivity, and environmental balance are complementary. This program will measure prosperity not just by GDP, but by clean skies, healthy citizens, and a sustainable environment.
Paul Procee, Acting Country Director, India, World Bank, stated that the program will leverage approximately $150 million in private capital to the state’s transportation and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSME) sectors. Investments in electric buses and three-wheelers, emission monitoring systems in industries, and the use of clean technologies will help firms improve productivity.
The program will provide clean cooking facilities to 3.9 million households in the state, and support over 700 brick kilns in adopting resource-efficient technologies. It will also encourage the use of efficient fertilizers to increase farmer productivity. This program is part of the World Bank’s Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills Regional Air Quality Management Program, which has a maturity period of 10 years. This initiative by the World Bank and the Uttar Pradesh government will not only help the state tackle air pollution but also strengthen its path towards environmentally friendly sustainable development.