ADB Sanctions USD 200 Million Loan to Enhance Urban Services in Kolkata.
Banking & Finance
On 26 February 2025, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a USD 200 million loan to improve the development of climate and disaster-resilient sewerage and drainage infrastructure in Kolkata, West Bengal, with the aim of enhancing Kolkata's livability.
- The loan agreement was part of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation Sustainability, Hygiene, and Resilience (Sector) Project (KSHARP).
- Kolkata, one of India's most populous and highly populated cities, faces severe issues due to poor drainage and sewerage systems, which result in urban flooding and an unsanitary atmosphere.
Main Point :- (i) The project includes 84 kilometers (km) of trunk and secondary sewerage & drainage pipelines, 176 km of lateral sewerage & drainage pipelines connecting homes, 50,000 new domestic sewer connections, the construction of one sewage treatment plant, and five new pumping stations to prevent waterlogging.
(ii) This project will enhance living conditions and health outcomes, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women and children, by lowering exposure to waterborne and vector-borne diseases and mitigating flood risks.
(iii) Additionally, the project will assist Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) in developing a comprehensive IT-based asset management system, increasing property tax revenue, expanding an earlier ADB intervention's early flood warning system, raising community awareness on water, sanitation, and hygiene, and promoting women's employment through skill training and internship programs.
About Asian Development Bank (ADB)
President : Masato Kanda
Headquarters : Mandaluyong City, Manila, Philippines
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