ADB Approves USD101 Million Loan to Strengthen Drinking Water Services in West Bengal

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD101 million loan as additional financing to the ongoing West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project to scale up access to safe, sustainable and inclusive drinking water services in rural West Bengal, particularly in areas affected by arsenic, fluoride and salinity contamination.

The additional financing and the ongoing project demonstrate an innovative, effective and sustainable service delivery model for rural drinking water supply in West Bengal. It will support the development of alternate safe water sources in Purba Medinipur district. It will also fund the preparation of a new drinking water supply proposal for salinity-affected areas in South 24 Parganas and unserved regions of Purba Medinipur.

The new financing builds on the innovative practices of the ongoing project and aims to expand access to piped water supply systems, reducing communities’ reliance on contaminated groundwater sources affected by arsenic and fluoride. It will ensure last-mile water service delivery and empower local communities—particularly women—through inclusive infrastructure and targeted capacity-building efforts.

Sourav Majumder, ADB Urban Specialist

Approved in 2018 with an initial investment of USD240 million, the project introduced an innovative model for rural drinking water supply, featuring continuous service delivery at standards higher than typical rural benchmarks in India. Key innovations include 390,000 metered household connections and advanced smart water management technologies such as supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems and GIS-based monitoring. 

Significant progress has been made across the project districts of Bankura, North 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur, with the construction of four water treatment plants, 79 storage reservoirs and about 6,200 kilometres of distribution pipelines.

The new financing will also enhance institutional capacity for drinking water service delivery through the rollout of the Asset Management and Service Delivery Framework (AMSDF). This framework empowers local governing bodies (gram panchayats) to manage water services and set guidelines for operational sustainability parameters such as metering, tariff and human resourcing.

About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
ADB is one of the leading multilateral development banks supporting inclusive, resilient and sustainable growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—50 from the region.