A water quality improvement project costing a total of over 600 million forints (EUR 2 million) has been launched in Kenderes-Bánhalma and Karcag with the support of the New Széchényi Plan.

The time capsule representing the foundation stone for the project was placed at the waterworks of the village of Bánhalma, which is part of the municipality of Kenderes in the Great Plains region of southeast Hungary, on Monday.

At the launch press conference, Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas stressed that one of the most important prerequisites for the development of a settlement is that its drinking water is of sufficient quality.

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Bánhalma, the region's smallest settlement, was chosen as the site of the event, thus also emphasising the fact that every village and city are equally important to the government of national issues, the politician added.

The Karcag-Kenderes (Bánhalma) Waterworks Investment Association 2009 was founded in March 2009, and after successfully winning the tender signed the funding agreement in August 2011.

The net cost of the project is 602.7 million forints, for which the Association was awarded 491.5 million forints in funding within the framework of the New Széchényi Plan. The Association made up the difference, also through submitting a successful tender, from the Ministry of Interior's 'own contribution' budget. The funding invested in improving water quality in Karcag, Kenderes and Kenderes-Bánhalma will be 376.9, 152 and 73.6 million forints, respectively.

During the course of construction, the water base will be expanded through the renovation of existing wells in Kenderes and Bánkút, in addition to which the water management technology will be modernised in all three settlements.

(MTI)