The project, conceived by the Rajasthan government about two years ago, was recently cleared by the ADB, state Urban Development secretary GS Sandhu said. The ADB will provide the funds over the next five years to improve infrastructure facilities like water supply and sewage management systems in Jaipur, Ajmer, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Kota and Udaipur. Jaipur, the state capital, alone will receive Rs 5.3 billion under the project, Sandhu said.

The ADB will provide 30 per cent of the funds as a grant, while the remainder will be treated as a loan. The state government has also made a provision of Rs 1 billion under the Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Project for the improvement of Jaipur. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has already launched a programme to conserve and restore the heritage of cities that are popular with tourists and the ADB project will provide the state government with much-needed funds to improve infrastructural facilities.

`Operation Pink', an anti-encroachment drive that began in Jaipur on February 29, marked the first phase of Gehlot's ambitious plans. Despite some opposition to the drive from Jaipur's trading community, the move was welcomed by the residents of the city. "Jaipur had become a city of encroachments. The people's support was the most important factor behind the success of 'Operation Pink'," Gehlot recently said. "Jaipur has been declared a heritage city and the programme will be extended to other cities so that we can attract more tourists to Rajasthan," he said.

Gehlot expects a comprehensive action plan for the "urban renewal" of Jaipur to be completed within the next two years.Some six million tourists, including 700,000 foreigners, visit Rajasthan every year, and the economy of cities like Jaipur is largely dependent on tourism.