The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) started the tender process for the mega drinking water project for 47 wards in Siliguri.
The drinking water scheme will have a capacity of 135 million litres per day (MLD). This will augment the present drinking water supply that is in deficit.
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 MLD for a population of around 10 lakh, while the
supply is 55 MLD. The Mega water project is aimed at augmenting this. It has a capacity of 135 MLD.
The Commissioner, SMC has invited an e-tender for “survey, design, construction, supply, erection and commissioning of RCC raw water intake structure (fixed type,) containing intake well allowing at least 211.80 MLD raw water withdrawal in 21 hours”. It also includes jetty, electrical substation, pump house, including pipes, equipment and other required infrastructure for delivering 138.61 MLD raw water at the Fulbari water treatment plant. The project is to be completed in 18 months with 3 months trial run.
“The second intake well will result in uninterrupted drinking water. We have been working relentlessly since taking charge of the SMC to resolve the drinking water problem. I had requested Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Minister on various occasions for the mega drinking water project that has been approved under AMRUT 2.0,” Mayor Gautam Deb had earlier stated.