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Project Detail:
The ongoing West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project will provide safe, sustainable, and inclusive drinking water services to about 1.65 million people in the arsenic-, fluoride-, and salinity-affected areas of Bankura, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Medinipur districts of West Bengal (project districts). It will introduce an innovative institutional framework and advanced technology for smart water management (STWM) to enable efficient service delivery in the project districts. The proposed additional financing (discussion of which is at advanced stage with the GOI) will be utilized for the cost overrun of the ongoing project, and a minor change in scope to (i) secure alternate safe drinking water sources for the project areas in Purba Medinipur, and (ii) prepare a sustainable drinking water supply project proposal for salinity affected areas of South 24 Parganas and unserved areas of Purba Medinipur. Project Rationale and Linkage to Country/Regional Strategy West Bengal face multifaceted problems with rural drinking water security. West Bengal is the fourth most populous state in India and its population is expected to grow from 91.2 million in 2011 to 100.8 million in 2027, with 62.0 million living in rural areas. The state faces serious challenges in water security as it is home to about 72% of India's population-at-risk from arsenic and about 5% of India's population-at-risk from fluoride contamination. The potable drinking water services in the rural areas cover only 51% of the population, compared to the national average of 77%, and have high exposure to arsenic and fluoride contamination due to predominant use of groundwater. The continuous withdrawal of groundwater in Purba Medinipur, one of the state's most salinity-affected districts, results in increased intrusion of salinity in groundwater. The project districts are also vulnerable to climate change and disasters increasing the risks to water supply services. The project will support the efforts of the Government of West Bengal (GOWB), through its Vision 2020, and of the Government of India, through its National Sub-Mission on Arsenic and Fluoride, by shifting from groundwater to sustainable surface water in the arsenic-, fluoride- and salinity affected areas.
Note: Please Download Project Document attached to this Project for more information.
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