Siliguri civic body initiates steps to prevent water crisis

Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 3 June 2024, Siliguri: Taking a cue from the recent problem of drinking water supply in the city during the repair of the Teesta Dam in Gajoldoba, the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has initiated steps to prevent a rerun of such a situation. 

After getting instruction from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the board is going to restart work on the Mahananda Action Plan after the election results are declared. 

Under this plan, the Mahananda River will be cleaned and purified with three Sewage Treatment Plants (STP) I, II and III. The Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) will do the work. 

On Monday, a meeting was held with the members of KMDA, where the Commissioner of SMC and other officials were present. Along with this, a unit to test drinking water will also be set up in Siliguri, said a SMC source. 

“The past board of SMC did not install an alternative intake well. They also did not execute the Mahananda Action plan. However, we have undertaken these works. The alternative intake well in Fulbari will be installed within this month. 

Tender process for the work of STP will take place immediately after the election results are declared,” said Gautam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri. In 2004, Ashok Bhattacharya, the then minister of Municipal Affairs had announced the Mahananda Action Plan. 

The Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) started the work. However, the work was halted due to the embezzlement of Rs 200 crore. 

As part of the plan, construction work on two STPs in the Noukaghat area had started. However, the work was later stopped. In 2022, when Trinamool came to power in the SMC board, they began working on restarting the project. 

By the end of 2023, the Mayor restarted the work of an STP, for which Rs 255 crore was sanctioned. 

However, the work could not be started due to a failure in the tender call. A re-tender will be called.The Mayor also said that the SMC will install six deep tubewells in different areas of the city. 

The Public Health department (PHE) is planning to set up a water testing unit in Fulbari, said an SMC source. Currently, the Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) test is done in Kolkata. It takes around five days to get the report. 

Courtesy & source: Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/siliguri-civic-body-initiates-steps-to-prevent-water-crisis-566431