Siliguri's 511-Crore Water Project Enters Final Stretch

The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) is poised to achieve a significant milestone in its Rs 511-crore mega drinking water project, with the first phase expected to be completed within the next three months, according to Mayor Gautam Deb.

Following a review meeting with officials, Mayor Deb stated, “We expect the work of the project’s first phase to be complete in another three months.” So far, pipelines have been laid along 15 km of the total 27.5 km stretch from the Teesta River to the Fulbari Water Treatment Plant. Work on the remaining section is pending clearance from the State Forest Department.

Construction of a key storage pond at the Fulbari treatment plant is currently underway and is scheduled for completion by November. The pond, with a capacity of 1,500 million litres, is expected to play a crucial role in ensuring uninterrupted water supply, according to Dulal Dutta, Member, Mayor-in-Council (Water Supply and Health).

The project—part of the Centre’s AMRUT 2.0 (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) scheme—will benefit residents across all 47 wards of SMC, the largest urban civic body in North Bengal. Technical guidance is being provided by Jadavpur University’s Water Resource Department, while a dedicated task force is overseeing project implementation.

In parallel, SMC is in the process of identifying locations for 15 overhead reservoirs to further strengthen the city’s water distribution infrastructure.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.