Three sewerage treatment plants will be set up at a cost of Rs 274 crore in and around Siliguri to reduce the pollution of the Mahananda river and two rivulets that cross the city.

Mayor Gautam Deb laid the foundation stones of two of these plants here on Friday.

“Funds for the STPs have been sanctioned under the second edition of the AMRUT scheme by the Centre. The Calcutta Metropolitan Development Authority will execute the work and Siliguri Municipal Corporation will function as the nodal agency,” he said.

Time and again, environmentalists in Siliguri have expressed concern over rising pollution in the Mahananda river and Jorapani and Fuleswari rivulets that flow through the city.

Deb said one of the plants to treat the rivulets would be set up at Fulbari on the southern outskirts of Siliguri near the state armed police brigade.

For Mahananda, a plant will come up in Shitalapara in ward 3. Water from around 100 drains of the city converges and falls into the river here, said sources.

Initially, Rs 66 crore would be spent on these two projects.

“We want to set up the third plant in an area like Porajhar and are searching for land,” the mayor said.

Deb on Friday also introduced four vehicles — two suction-cum-water sprinkler trucks, a mobile dog kennel and a service van. The civic body has spent Rs 1.13 crore on them, said sources.

Manik Dey, member, mayor-in-council (conservancy) of the SMC, spoke on their uses. The trucks will be used in clearing clogged drains and sprinkling water on streets. The mobile kennel will rescue dogs. The service van will be used to repair other vehicles.