The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank’s (AIIB) board of directors has approved a $145 million loan to India to improve irrigation service delivery and strengthen flood risk management in West Bengal. Earlier this month, AIIB president Jin Liqun also approved $65 million for a 250-megawatt solar power project in Jodhpur.
West Bengal has 37,660 square kilometers (14,540 square miles) of flood-prone areas out of a total area of 88,752 square kilometers (34,267 square miles). An analysis of floods over the last 41 years shows that the eastern state has faced severe floods in all but five years. Another concern is the potential threat of climate change, which may have complex implications on water availability and amplify challenges for 70 percent of the local population dependent on agriculture.
The project, co-financed with the World Bank, is expected to strengthen the management of the Damodar Valley Command Area irrigation scheme to improve service delivery and eff
