Jalpaiguri: To meet the increased demand for drinking water during the festive season, Jalpaiguri Municipality has announced an additional one-hour water supply between Mahalaya and Chhath Puja.
Vice-Chairman of the municipality, Saikat Chatterjee, said the move has been taken keeping in mind the festive rush in the town.
Currently, the municipality caters to a population of nearly 2 lakh. Out of 25 wards, only about 12,000 households receive piped drinking water through 27 reservoirs. The remaining population depends on private wells, deep tube wells, roadside taps, and limited connections provided by the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Engineering department (MED) is preparing to launch a trial run of purified water supply from the Teesta River. “Although water from the AMRUT project will soon reach households, it will take around three months before it becomes fit for drinking. Until then, it can be used for washing clothes and utensils,” said Asim Dey, Executive Engineer of the MED. Under the AMRUT project, water from the Teesta will be supplied to 19,000 households in the first phase and another 14,000 households in the second phase, expanding coverage significantly.
Residents welcomed the municipality’s temporary measure but highlighted existing challenges. Sudip Basak, a resident of Masakolaibari, said: “It’s good that the municipality will supply an extra hour of water during Puja. But in our area, water often doesn’t reach the rooftop tanks.”
Another resident, Samir Talapatra of Nayabasti, added: “Relatives will start coming home before the Puja. This additional supply will be very helpful.” Explaining the plan, Subrata Bagchi, Engineer of the Municipality’s Water Supply department, said: “At present, water is supplied for eight hours daily—four in the morning and four in the evening. From Mahalaya to Chhath Puja, an extra hour will be provided, with 30 minutes added in both the morning and evening. This will benefit all residents.”