The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has received state nod for more engineers and will also receive funds for a number of important projects to be carried out in and around the city.

Mayor Gautam Deb said here on Tuesday that the state urban development and municipal affairs department approved the request for more engineers at the civic body.

“Based on a recent discussion with state minister Firhad Hakim, his department will depute five engineers in different posts at the SMC. They will handle technical issues and projects and will also coordinate with state government departments and other agencies to expedite infrastructure development of Siliguri,” said Deb.

According to him, a chief engineer, a superintending engineer, an executive engineer, an assistant engineer and a junior engineer will be posted in the SMC. They will work together with others who are posted in the engineering cell of the civic body.

Sources said these engineers will be posted here from the municipal engineering directorate of the state and the Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA).

One of the major projects which these engineers will look after is the mega drinking water project of the city.

“The estimated cost of the drinking water project is around Rs 511 crore. It will be funded by the state and the Centre,” said a source in the civic body.

The mayor said they planned to come up with a deep well at the drinking water plant of the SMC at Fulbari on the southern outskirts of the city to enhance water supply in the city till the new project is ready.

“We have identified three locations on the right bank of Mahananda where sewerage treatment plants will be set up. A sum of Rs 272 crore will be spent on the project to be executed by KMDA,” he said.

He also said that the KMDA will carry out a legacy waste management project at the dumping ground on27 acres in Ektiasal for which Rs 18 crore has been allocated. The project would be ready by March, 2023.

“A plot of five acres has been provided to SUDA (state urban development agency) at the dumping ground. They will carry out a project on fresh waste management for a sum of Rs 10 crore,” said Deb.