The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will lend an additional $80 million for a project to improve sanitation and urban facilities in Kolkata by June 2010.

The environment improvement work to be carried out includes sewerage and drainage for more than two million people, solid waste management for five million, enhanced urban services for 200,000 slum dwellers, and flood protection, the Manila-based agency said in a statement Friday.

Only half of the West Bengal capital's 4.58 million people have a sewer connection - a figure that drops to only 17 percent in the city's outer areas, which generally have access to fewer and lower quality basic urban services.

The scope of the project has undergone several changes since 2000, with the inclusion of a new borough, a rise in the number of affected persons to be resettled, higher compensation, and changes in canal improvement works.

In addition, costs of goods and services have risen significantly.

Revised costs for the project are now more than $400 million, of which ADB is funding $257.8 million (including the supplementary loan).

The West Bengal government and Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will cover the rest of the cost. The loan is spread over 19 years.

The extra funds will finance basic urban services in the city's deprived outer areas, promote community involvement and support the KMC, the multilateral agency has stated.

'Despite initial implementation delay, the last 18 months have seen the project gain considerable momentum and stronger project management,' said Keiichi Tamaki, an ADB senior urban development specialist.