ADB Set to Fund Rs. 1,200-Crore Project to Tackle Agartala Flooding, Drainage, Water Supply and Tourism Issues: Milind Ramteke
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, August 12, 2026
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is set to sanction a Rs. 1,200-crore soft-loan project aimed at strengthening flood mitigation infrastructure, storm-water drainage, drinking-water supply abd some Tourism Projects in the Agartala Municipal Corporation (AMC) area, Urban Development Secretary Dr. Milind Dharmrao Ramteke, IAS, said at a press conference on Tuesday.
The proposed project is expected to provide a major boost to Agartala’s long-standing efforts to address waterlogging and urban flooding, particularly during periods of intense rainfall. The AMC area has a population of around six lakh people.
According to Ramteke, approximately Rs.600 crore of the total project cost will be utilised for developing and improving the storm-water drainage system in the city. The broader ADB-supported programme will also cover flood mitigation and drinking-water infrastructure.
“If the plan is successfully implemented, the flood mitigation mechanism will be improved significantly in the capital town,” Ramteke said.
The Urban Development Secretary said Agartala has witnessed flooding and waterlogging on several occasions in recent days due to incessant rainfall. At present, 17 pumps are operational across the city to remove accumulated rainwater, while the authorities have decided to install three additional pumps to further strengthen the drainage and water-extraction capacity.
Ramteke explained that waterlogging tends to occur in some parts of the city when rainfall exceeds around 40 mm within one or two hours. However, he said, the water generally recedes within about 30 minutes to one-and-a-half hours, depending on the location and intensity of rainfall.
He said the government is working on a comprehensive and long-term solution to the recurring waterlogging problem rather than relying solely on emergency pumping during heavy rain.
Saju Vaheed, IAS, Commissioner of Agartala Municipal Corporation, said the situation has improved considerably because of the proper deployment of existing pumping systems. According to him, rainwater is now being drained from affected areas much faster than before.
He said additional pumps are also being installed or planned to strengthen the city's flood-response mechanism. A significant portion of the proposed ADB assistance is expected to be utilised for improving drainage and flood-management infrastructure.
The Urban Development Department is also working towards introducing electric bus services in Agartala, particularly around the Durga Puja period.
Ramteke said a tender has already been floated for introducing 10 electric vehicles in the city with ADB assistance. The plan also includes establishing the necessary charging infrastructure to support the electric-bus service.
The initiative is expected to contribute to cleaner urban transportation while complementing Agartala’s broader smart-city and urban infrastructure development plans.
At the press conference, Dr. GS Nayak, IAS, CEO and Managing Director of Agartala Smart City Limited, provided an update on ongoing road-development works under the Smart City project.
He said work is currently underway on approximately 23 km of road expansion and improvement, but progress has been affected to some extent by the ongoing monsoon and frequent rainfall.
Nayak also pointed out that the absence of updated or properly documented underground utility layouts for several old roads has created additional challenges. Existing drainage networks, CNG infrastructure, telephone cable, electricity lines and drinking-water pipelines often lack comprehensive old maps or drawings, making road construction and expansion more complicated.
Despite these difficulties, Nayak said efforts are being made to accelerate the work and that most of the roads are expected to become motorable before Durga Puja.
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