The Irrigation department of the government of West Bengal has taken an initiative to revive Fuleswari and Jorapani, the two important rivers of Siliguri. On Wednesday, Partha Bhowmick, the minister of Irrigation department, along with Gautam Deb, the Mayor of Siliguri inspected the condition of the rivers.
They started the visit from Jorapani Bridge in Ghogomali, wards 36 and 37 under Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC). Then they went to the Subhashpally and Dabgram area and checked the condition of the Fuleswari River there.
After the inspection, the minister said that these two significant rivers will be purified by the end of this year. Arrangements will be made to restore the river to its previous state. “These two rivers are the important rivers of the city, which are in a bad condition. SMC has approached us for renovating the rivers. Accordingly, we visited the rivers. Soon the work will start and the people of Siliguri will get a new look of these rivers by the end of this year,” the minister added. The banks of these two rivers have been encroached for years. The navigability of the river has decreased due to accumulation of garbage and silt. The SMC has already started cleaning work of the rivers. Using desilting machines, the river banks will be cleared.
In this regard, Mayor Gautam Deb said: “A large quantity of silt and garbage will be collected from the rivers. The silt will be used in lower areas of the city based on requirements to avoid water accumulation during the rainy season. We will urge the department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs (UDMA) to do the work. Iron nets will be installed on all the bridges of the city.”
Meanwhile, Mahishmari, Panchanai and Sahu rivers will also be revived one by one.