Darjeeling water problem - The perennial shortage of drinking water faced by residents in the Darjeeling municipality areas is set to end with the central government today agreeing to sanction Rs169.20 crore for revamping the existing distribution system and constructing storage tanks.
Municipality officials today held a video conference from the Writers’ Buildings in Kolkata with representatives of the central government along with state government officials.
Speaking over phone from Kolkata, Darjeeling municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai said, "The video conference with central government officials was fruitful. We convinced the Centre on the need to revamp the water distribution system in the Darjeeling municipality areas that is in a shambles at present. The officials have agreed to grant us Rs169.20 crore to implement the project.”
Rai said the central government would fund 80 per cent of the total amount, while the remaining 15 per cent will have to be borne by the state and the municipality.
"As the municipality is facing an acute monetary crisis, we will need to take a loan to meet our share from the state municipal affairs department," said the chairman.
He said the meeting’s success was the result of months of persuasion with both state and central ministers.
"When we took up office a couple of years back, we had prioritised the drinking water problem of town. We had chalked out a comprehensive plan and submitted it to the state government. Over the months, we had constantly pursued the matter with the state urban development and municipality affairs department, with the last meeting held in November last year," said Rai, adding the project in the pipeline is massive and would go a long way in meeting the drinking water requirements of town.
Darjeeling town requires nearly 15 lakh gallons of water on average on a daily basis. During the peak season, the town receives about 8-9 million gallons of water, but this quantity drastically drops to 4-5 million gallons during lean periods.
The overhead storage tanks installed in Rockville and St. Paul's distribute drinking water to town and they are in turn fed by the North and South and the Sindhap Lakes in Sinchel above Jorebungalow, 15km away from Darjeeling town. The three lakes are fed by 26 jhoras (streams).
The chairman also said the water distribution project includes setting up of reservoirs in the 32 wards of the municipality including pumping stations and metre-reading systems for domestic and commercial lines.
"We will construct tanks in each of the 32 wards under the municipality. The distribution pipes are in a dilapidated state and we will repair them too to ensure smooth water flow," said Rai.
The Darjeeling municipality will ink a Memorandum of Agreement with the concerned state and central government departments on February 26 in Kolkata to get the green signal for implementing the project.
The much hyped Balasan drinking water project that pumps water in two stages (35km uphill) to the Sinchel reservoirs is in commission. But the facility is used only during the lean season and has not been a success.
Source: EOI
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| People fetching water in Darjeeling |
Speaking over phone from Kolkata, Darjeeling municipality chairman Amar Singh Rai said, "The video conference with central government officials was fruitful. We convinced the Centre on the need to revamp the water distribution system in the Darjeeling municipality areas that is in a shambles at present. The officials have agreed to grant us Rs169.20 crore to implement the project.”
Rai said the central government would fund 80 per cent of the total amount, while the remaining 15 per cent will have to be borne by the state and the municipality.
"As the municipality is facing an acute monetary crisis, we will need to take a loan to meet our share from the state municipal affairs department," said the chairman.
He said the meeting’s success was the result of months of persuasion with both state and central ministers.
"When we took up office a couple of years back, we had prioritised the drinking water problem of town. We had chalked out a comprehensive plan and submitted it to the state government. Over the months, we had constantly pursued the matter with the state urban development and municipality affairs department, with the last meeting held in November last year," said Rai, adding the project in the pipeline is massive and would go a long way in meeting the drinking water requirements of town.
Darjeeling town requires nearly 15 lakh gallons of water on average on a daily basis. During the peak season, the town receives about 8-9 million gallons of water, but this quantity drastically drops to 4-5 million gallons during lean periods.
The overhead storage tanks installed in Rockville and St. Paul's distribute drinking water to town and they are in turn fed by the North and South and the Sindhap Lakes in Sinchel above Jorebungalow, 15km away from Darjeeling town. The three lakes are fed by 26 jhoras (streams).
The chairman also said the water distribution project includes setting up of reservoirs in the 32 wards of the municipality including pumping stations and metre-reading systems for domestic and commercial lines.
"We will construct tanks in each of the 32 wards under the municipality. The distribution pipes are in a dilapidated state and we will repair them too to ensure smooth water flow," said Rai.
The Darjeeling municipality will ink a Memorandum of Agreement with the concerned state and central government departments on February 26 in Kolkata to get the green signal for implementing the project.
The much hyped Balasan drinking water project that pumps water in two stages (35km uphill) to the Sinchel reservoirs is in commission. But the facility is used only during the lean season and has not been a success.
Source: EOI
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