With rising summer scorch, govt to plan special drive to meet water woes

Apprehending the possibility of water crisis in certain districts due to the soaring temperature, the state Public Health Engineering department minister Subrata Mukherjee will hold a meeting with Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Finance Minister Amit Mitra about starting a special drive to address the issue.

While replying to questions of different MLAs related to the issues of availability of sufficient safe drinking water in the Assembly on Friday, Mukherjee said that the state government is taking the matter very seriously and all necessary steps will be taken according to the requirement of respective districts.

Later, Mukherjee said that steps will be taken to set up hand tube wells and more submersible pumps, which will be the need of the hour if the weather remains this hot. Moreover many ponds are getting dried up. The districts where there is possibility of water crisis are Purulia, Murshidabad, East and West Midnapore and some parts of North and South 24 Parganas.

The maximum temperature in the city on Friday was around 38 degrees Celsius while it was higher in South Bengal districts.

The minister further said that in a bid to take up the special drive, it is very important to take the matter up with the Chief Minister and Finance Minister Amit Mitra. "I will approach the Chief Minister as soon as she returns from Delhi."

During the question and answer session, the MLA from Canning Paschim Assembly constituency, Shyamal Mondal raised the issue of the dilapidated state of the pipeline that was laid at Nodakhali in South 24 Parganas during the Left Front regime which is causing inconvenience to the people as they are not getting sufficient drinking water.

In reply, Mukherjee said that this is a serious issue as residents of 6 blocks are getting affected.

The pipeline was laid during the Left Front regime in unscientific and unplanned way.

The quality of those pipes was also below standard. Now, proper steps will be taken so that the people get water.

"I will also speak to the Chief Minister about this issue," Mukherjee said adding that the state government has taken up another Rs 1,400 crore project with the assistance of World Bank to set up another pipeline in Nodakhali to ensure sufficient supply of water to the people in the area.

Mukherjee also said that the state government is also taking necessary steps to ensure

supply of safe drinking water in arsenic prone districts in the state.