The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) and the state irrigation department have almost completed the cleaning and rejuvenation of the Fuleswari and the Jorapani, two rivulets that flow through the city.

Mayor Gautam Deb said on Friday that the SMC had cleaned the rivulets and stopped people from further polluting the waterbodies in the past one year.

The Fuleswari and the Jorapani were once considered “floating dumping yards.” Indiscriminate dumping of wastes and deposition of silt which had polluted the streams prompted environmentalists to raise the demand for the proper conservation of the rivulets.

The SMC took up the issue with the state government. Eventually, ₹10 crore was sanctioned by the state and the SMC was instructed to carry out the project jointly with the state irrigation department,

“The project was jointly taken up for the rejuvenation of the streams which altogether move through a stretch of 11.4km. We have finished almost 70 per cent of the work. There are some areas where will will work during the final phase of the project,” said Deb, after a review meeting with irrigation officials.

Sources in the SMC said open sewerage lines from certain households which are on the banks of the streams, go the streams.

“There are 17 minor bridges and culverts over these waterbodies. We are putting nets on both sides of these bridges and culverts to prevent people from throwing garbage into these streams. Also, the households concerned would be asked to make alternative sewerage lines so that polluted water doesn't fall into the streams,” said a source.

“Once the project is complete, we will act against those who pollute the streams,” the mayor added.

Gail meeting

Gautam Deb on Friday held a meeting with a team of the Gas Authority of India Limited (Gail) that would provide house-to-house gas connections in Siliguri.

Deb said Gail had already surveyed the city and would cover around 1,200km of the area through pipelines. “As a pilot project, Gail will lay pipelines along a stretch of 47km in the city to supply gas. In due course, it will cover the rest of Siliguri,” he said.