Urban Infrastructure and Sustainability in Bankura Town: An Ancient City of Rarh Bengal Located Between Two Rivers (Dwarakeswar and Gandheswari)

Abstract

For over two decades, India has had one of the fastest-expanding economies in the world. It is apparent that faster expansion affects the rate and type of urbanization. Urban infrastructure includes drinking water, sanitation, sewage systems, power and gas distribution, urban transportation, primary health services, and environmental governance. Bankura town is part of the Burdwan Division of West Bengal. Being included in the “Rarh” area of Bengal, it is flanked by the Dwarakeswar and Gandheswari Rivers on the northern and southern sides, respectively. Maximum and minimum water supply distribution networks were observed in the eastern, northern, western, and southern parts of the Bankura municipality, respectively, with pucca drains in most of the research region. Bankura town, which is the center of the entire Bankura district, has a well-developed transport and communication infrastructure. The study is based on both primary and secondary data collected through ward-level household surveys, field observations, personal interviews, Census of India reports, and Bankura Municipality records. Descriptive statistical techniques and GIS-based spatial mapping were used to assess ward-wise variations in the urban infrastructure. The municipality has approximately 170 km of water pipelines connecting 14,024 houses, while substantial spatial disparities are observed in water supply, drainage, and solid waste generation across different wards. In terms of solid waste management, the municipal services offered in this metropolitan core are still insufficient. Currently, municipal regions dispose of solid waste by simply dumping it wherever there is accessible low land. The sides of the landfill do not follow any long-term regional land-use plans. One of the most crucial aspects of integrated waste management is garbage disposal, as improper waste disposal can harm the environment, sub-surface strata, human health, and life. Currently, open dumping is the only method used to dispose of the town’s solid waste. The findings of this study contribute to the understanding of urban infrastructure disparities in medium-sized municipalities and provide practical recommendations for sustainable urban planning in Bankura. Future research should incorporate geospatial modelling, longitudinal assessments, and comparative analyses across municipalities to evaluate the long-term effectiveness of infrastructure development policies and sustainable urban management strategies.