With the aim of solving the drinking water crisis in Siliguri, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) will set up an additional intake tank at Fulbari near Siliguri. The construction work will finish before the Durga Puja, announced Gautam Deb, the Mayor of Siliguri, following a meeting with the officials of Public Health Engineering department (PHE) and the Irrigation department. The cost of constructing this will be Rs 6 crore 9 lakh.
“We have undertaken a mega drinking water project for 47 wards in Siliguri. However, that project will take time due to various reasons. Owing to the fact, to resolve the drinking water problem temporarily, we will set up an alternative intake tank in Fulbari. The project cost is Rs 6 crore and 9 lakh. We are trying to set up the intake well before Durga Puja,” said Gautam Deb, the Mayor.
On Wednesday, the Mayor held a meeting with the officials of PHE and Irrigation Department at the head office of SMC. In the meeting the decision to set up the intake tank was taken. Within a few days, work will commence.
At present, drinking water is supplied from the water treatment plant at Fulbari. Water is pumped from the Teesta Mahananda Canal to the treatment plant, where it is purified. It is then supplied to 16 overhead tanks and 4 underground reservoirs in different locations, from where it is distributed to the 47 wards under the SMC.
The present demand is 70 million liters per day (MLD) for a population of around 10 lakh, while the supply is 55 MLD. The Mega water project will have a capacity of 135 MLD. Water will be pumped from Gajoldoba for the mega drinking water project that is in the pipeline. However it will take time to set up the mega water project.
The temporary intake tank of Fulbari will store water which will then be purified in the treatment plant. Deb also said that strict measures will be taken against illegal boring in the city. The SMC has started monitoring illegal boring that is causing depletion of groundwater.