Residents across the Siliguri civic area continued to bear the brunt of drinking water shortage for the third day on Friday with the Trinamool-led board at Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) grappling with the crisis by sending water tankers and distributing water pouches across the city.
The supply, monitored by mayor Gautam Deb, his colleagues and SMC officials and employees, however, fell short of demand, sources said. Many people had to queue up in front of shops to buy water.
Siliguri residents started facing acute water crisis since Wednesday when the mayor announced that water supplied by the civic body was unfit for drinking.
Deb, who on Friday was seen visiting wards and handing over water pouches to people, said he spoke to chief minister Mamata Banerjee on the issue.
The chief minister instructed the PHE and irrigation departments and the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority to collectively support the SMC to tide over the crisis, Deb said.
“The moment we came to know about the PHE’s report that the water of Mahananda river was unfit for consumption, we informed the residents. Hopefully, by June 2, drinking water supply will resume as we will be able to draw water from the Teesta canal,” said Deb, adding that the civic body was also building an alternative intake well to be ready by June third week at a cost of ₹6.9 crore.
Deb said there is a demand for 55 MLD of drinking water in Siliguri.
“It is an uphill task. Yet we have made alternative arrangements. Altogether, 75 water tankers are being used to distribute water among people and five mobile treatment unit (MTU) vehicles, which can make water pouches, are operational in different locations of the city,” he said.
Each MTU can purify 4,000 litres of water in an hour. Then, water pouches of 350ml are readied. Thirty mobile vans are distributing pouches among people.
On Friday, BJP supporters demonstrated in front of the main entrance of the SMC, saying the civic board failed to supply drinking water, a basic civic service. On Thursday, the Left had done the same.
