The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) has urged Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to inaugurate a newly built intake well at the Fulbari water treatment plant, designed to improve water supply stability in Siliguri. Banerjee, who is set to begin a four-day tour of North Bengal on Monday, will be attending various official events in the Darjeeling hills before returning to Siliguri on November 14.
The inauguration request was formally submitted to the Chief Minister by Mayor Gautam Deb through the Darjeeling district administration, as confirmed by Dulal Dutta, SMC’s mayor-in-council member for water and health. “Several official programs will be attended by the Chief Minister, and it was requested by the mayor that the inauguration of the intake well be included during her visit,” stated Dutta. Constructed at a cost of ₹6.9 crore, the new intake well stores water sourced from the Teesta canal, which is treated and then distributed throughout Siliguri.
The well’s importance was further explained by Dutta, who added, “Regular maintenance is required by our existing well, especially during monsoon seasons when silt buildup disrupts supply. Supply issues are expected to be mitigated, and more consistent service is ensured by the new intake well.” This intake well is part of a broader initiative launched by the SMC, in partnership with the state’s Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department, to meet the rising water demands of the city.
Funded under the central AMRUT 2.0 scheme, this project will invest ₹511 crore to upgrade Siliguri’s water infrastructure. The first phase, which includes laying pipelines, constructing additional intake wells, and establishing a power station at the treatment plant, has been allocated around ₹204 crore.
The plan also includes the drawing of water from the Teesta river at Gajoldoba in the Jalpaiguri district via a newly laid 27-kilometer pipeline. An official reported that the pipeline’s laying began on Friday and that it will pass through parts of the Rajganj block and sections of the Baikunthapur forest.
Banerjee’s visit to the hills will be her first in nearly a year, and her return to Darjeeling after two years highlights the state’s focus on enhancing essential resources for Siliguri and the surrounding region.
