The World Bank recently approved a loan to the Government of Karnataka for projects in Bengaluru. The project is called “Karnataka Water Security and Resilience Program” and is financed under the instrument called “Program for Results” (PforR). You can find the main document as well as environment and social impact assessments in this dataset. In this explainer we will go into details of the project and what is expected to be covered. How much is the funding? The total project cost is expected to be USD 677.0 million or ₹5754.5 crore. This is more than a quarter of BBMP’s 2025-26 budget.…

India is urbanising at a fast pace. According to the Handbook on Urban Statistics by the National Institute of Urban Affairs, the urban population is projected to grow from 31.1% (377 million) in 2011 to nearly 39.6% (600 million) by 2036. The increase in urban population will put additional pressure on existing infrastructure and services, while also leading to the emergence of new towns. Towns and cities of India are grappling with delivering basic urban services and developing urban infrastructure.  A World Bank report (2022) estimates that India needs $55 billion annually for a period of 15 years from the…