The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has started the groundwork on the city's Rs 511-crore drinking water project.

The state’s municipal engineering department has started scrutinising the technical details of the drinking water project submitted by agencies to the SMC.

"Three agencies participated in the recent tender. Their bids were sent to the municipal engineering department for technical scrutiny. Once we receive the report, it will be sent to AMRUT for final approval," an SMC source said.

The Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), under the Union ministry of housing and urban affairs, aims to set up infrastructure for sewage and water supply networks.

The SMC project worth Rs 511 crore falls under the Centre’s AMRUT 2 project.

“The first phase of the project includes laying pipelines, setting up a power substation and constructing an intake well. The estimated cost of this phase is Rs 211 crore," an SMC source said.

Dulal Dutta, the member mayor-in-council (water supply), said technical experts from the irrigation and municipal affairs department finalised the proposed site for an alternative intake well at Fulbari.

"Work on this intake well is likely to start from next month," Dutta said, adding its estimated cost is Rs 6.9 crore.

A delegation of BJP councillors in the SMC met Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb at his office on Saturday to submit a memorandum on developing basic civic services, including drinking water supply.

“There are still people in all 47 wards under the SMC without steady drinking water, supply,” Amit Jain, the leader of the Opposition in the civic board, said.

Dutta, the MIC (water supply) of the SMC, said they were working on it. At a number of wards, such as 2, 3, 10, 40, 41, 42 and 43, the civic board supplies water through tankers. "The daily water need in Siliguri civic areas is 100 million litres per day, but with the existing infrastructure, we can supply around 55. So we give water to many areas through tankers," he said.