‘Over 34K residents to get free water connections’
Raiganj: Raiganj Municipality in North Dinajpur district has initiated a major move to provide drinking water connections free-of-cost to residents under its domestic water project scheme. The long-awaited initiative aims to supply drinking water directly to more than 34,000 households across 27 wards of the municipality.
The infrastructure for the domestic water project, which began in 2011 during the Left Front rule, is now nearing completion. Municipal surveyors have already started visiting homes to identify and register beneficiaries who wish to avail of the facility. The scheme addresses a long-standing demand of Raiganj residents for a reliable supply of fresh drinking water.
According to civic officials, the project, originally funded by a Rs 44 crore grant under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), faced multiple delays over the years.
The project initially saw slow progress during subsequent administrations, with only partial infrastructure such as reservoirs, pump houses, and roadside pipelines constructed using the Central funds. Over time, escalating costs required an additional Rs 30 crore to complete the project. This shortfall was addressed through state government support.
The completed infrastructure now includes four overhead reservoirs, four underground reservoirs, 14 pump houses, and pipelines connecting all 27 wards.
Highlighting the project’s challenges and achievements, Sandip Biswas, Chairperson of the Board of Administrators of Raiganj Municipality, stated: “The domestic water project started during the Left Front reign but was held up for years. The Congress-led board only managed to construct reservoirs, pump houses, and roadside pipelines using Central funds. When we took charge in 2017, we prioritised developing infrastructure to supply drinking water directly to houses.
With the initiative of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, we received more than Rs 30 crore for project completion. Now, our infrastructure is ready. Very soon, we will provide fresh drinking water connections to more than 34,000 houses in the municipality at free cost”.
