Mamata inaugurates filtered water scheme at New Town

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday fulfilled the hope and expectation of thousands New Town residents by inaugurating the filtered water supply scheme.

Raw water will be lifted from the Hooghly river at Debendrabala Ghat and it will be taken to the treatment which is around 10 km away. 

The project worth Rs 726 crore has been taken up by the Public Health Engineering Department and it was funded by the Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation (Hidco). 

Everyday, around 20 million gallon of filtered water will be supplied to the residents. Around 4.55 lakh people will be benefited from the project. 

Later, water will be supplied to Bidhannagar, NKDA and south Dum Dum municipality.  

“This is one of the biggest achievements of Mamata Banerjee.  We have been staying here for the past 8 years and never dreamt that we will be able to get water from the Hooghly river. Our dreams have been fulfilled today,” said Basudhara Basu, a retired bank employee.  

A 35-year-old housewife Manidipa Das said it was a D day for each and every residents of New Town. “Now we know that drinking water will be safe.”

Another resident Surya Tandon, said, “The initiative taken by the Chief Minister should be lauded by all.”

After coming to power, Mamata Banerjee had set up a group of ministers (GoM) to prepare plans to supply filtered water at New Town. 

The Public Health Engineering Department had also carried out a unique experiment. 

However such experiment is against the popular belief that raw water lifting station should be set up next to the water treatment plant. 

In 1861, the country’s first water supply station was set up in Palta to supply filtered water to the British people who used to stay in and around Esplanade. 

Following this, it has become a convention to follow the British system. The Public Health Engineering Department has come up with a new method that has worked successfully.