Dated: 30th June 2025
A sensor-based Drinking Water Monitoring System (DWMS) using IoT (Internet of Things) technology has been successfully piloted across 10 locations covering various water supply schemes in Health Care Facilities (Rural Hospital and Health & Wellness Centres) and remote villages across 3 blocks of Howrah, Paschim Medinipur, and South 24 Parganas districts in West Bengal. 
The system monitors critical service delivery parameters such as water pressure, residual chlorine, total dissolved solids (TDS), turbidity, pH, and temperature in real-time. For remote Single Village Schemes (SVS) Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) expressed their need to monitor pump running hours and water lifted in the reservoir, which has been implemented in 2 SVS schemes in Ghatal block of West Midnapur district.
The initiative started in 2022 with the installation of two IoT-based sensor modules in the Amta-II block of Howrah to track water quality and service delivery metrics. Encouraged by the pilot’s success, the project was expanded in 2024 to additional locations, including HCFs and 2 remote SVSs.
Data is collected three times daily and transmitted to a central dashboard hosted by SIGMA Foundation, enabling real-time visualization and analysis. This is proposed to be integrated with PHED systems for use of the data in monitoring the scheme and decision support.
This initiative demonstrates the transformative potential of digital technology in strengthening rural water governance—enhancing efficiency, accountability, and safety in service delivery. It marks another significant milestone by SIGMA Foundation in advancing the goals of the Jal Jeevan Mission in West Bengal through a technology-driven, smart water quality surveillance system.
The intervention is implemented by SIGMA Foundation as a partner of UNICEF and in collaboration with PHED, West Bengal.