Fulbari, 03rd June: Amid a severe water crisis affecting Siliguri for the past two days, Mayor Gautam Deb, along with Deputy Mayor Ranjan Sarkar, MMIC Dulal Dutta, and other officials, visited the Fulbari water treatment plant on Tuesday. The team also inspected the Mahananda Barrage and the alternative intake well.
According to reports, continuous heavy rains in Sikkim have led to a surge of silt through the Teesta River, which has been accumulating at the intake point of the Fulbari plant. The incoming water has become extremely turbid, making purification difficult and disrupting supply across several wards in Siliguri.
After the inspection, Mayor Deb said the crisis stemmed from natural causes and assured that steps are being taken to resolve it. Currently, 33 water tanks are in operation, and 25 additional tanks will be brought in from the PHE department to boost supply.
He further announced that 1.5 lakh water pouches will be distributed from tomorrow, and new reservoirs are being planned to help prevent such crises in the future.