Project Details

The Public Health and Engineering Department (PHED), of the Government of West Bengal, the implementing agency and the executive agency, is wholly responsible for the implementation of ADB-financed(ADB Loan no 3696- IND , Grant No- 9196 IND) projects under the West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project (WBDWSIP or the project) to be implemented by the Project Management Unit (PMU) of the West Bengal Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), as agreed jointly between the borrower and ADB, and in accordance with the policies and procedures of the government and ADB. The proposed project aims to provide safe, reliable and continuous drinking water in line with government of India’s guidelines and standards and with the Vision 2020 of GoWB to about 2.6 million people in selected Arsenic, Fluoride, and salinity affected areas of North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Medinipur and Bankura districts.

The Project will ensure drinking water security through 24/7 piped water supply schemes in the areas covered, strengthen the institutional structures and build the capacities of stakeholders at all levels of service delivery for sustainable operation and maintenance and sustained public health improvement. The outputs comprise:

Output 1 Drinking Water Infrastructure Constructed and Upgraded.

Project will provide 70lpcd potable water through metered household connections on a 24/7 basis to each household in the rural areas, and potable bulk water at the prescribed national standards to the en-route habitations. The distribution systems will be designed on district metering area (DMA) basis, provided up to the household level including community and government institutions such as schools and 8Anganwadis complete with district meters and domestic water meters, and integrated with smart water management and monitoring tools at the district, block, and Gram Panchayat (GP) levels, such as SCADA and GIS. Bulk water supply systems will be inter-connected on a grid-based supply system where feasible. PHED will be responsible for operating, maintaining and monitoring the bulk water systems, up to boundary of the GP, whereas the GPs will operate and maintain the distribution network within the GPs. The Zilla Parishads (ZP), administrative body at the district level, and Panchayat Samiti (PS)s, administrative body at the block level, will be involved in coordinating, technical support and monitoring role at the district and block level;

Output 2: Institutional Strengthening and Capacity Building for Operational Sustainability.

Project will create/strengthen sustainable service delivery institutional structures within the district, block and GP levels, as well as for PHED West Bengal headquarters, introduce innovative practices and high technology on smart water management to create a model for rural water service delivery and bulk water supply systems for the state and the country. It will also provide support to strengthen sanitation policies, regulatory frameworks on and piloting on septage management in West Bengal.