Balurghat, March 11 -- In a bid to tackle rising water scarcity ahead of Assembly elections, Balurghat Municipality chairman Surajit Saha announced plans to install 'Water ATMs' at key town intersections, offering affordable purified drinking water to residents. The Board of Councillors has approved the proposal.
"Supplying bottled or drum-filled water will benefit residents and generate revenue for the municipality," Saha told reporters. Four locations have been identified, with implementation eyed via Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or direct municipal effort. "A final decision will be taken soon," he added.
Currently, of the municipality's 25 wards, drinking water is supplied twice daily-from 7:30 am to 8:30 am and 12:30 pm to 1:30 pm-in 22 wards. The newly included Chakbhrigu area (wards 13, 14, and 15) lacks household connections. Out of 16,318 holdings, about 11,500 households have domestic taps, excluding commercial setups and apartments. The town's daily demand stands at 8.5 lakh gallons.
The civic body has floated a Rs 2 crore tender to extend connections along National Highway 512 from the bus stand to Raghunathpur. Funds are sought from the state for Chakbhrigu's three wards. Yet, 100 per cent household coverage remains elusive, worsened by falling Atreyee River levels. To counter this, the municipality plans a water bottling plant producing thousands of purified bottles daily in 250 ml, 500 ml, 1 litre, 2 litre and 20-litre jars at below-market rates.
"Even with home service, many buy market water, especially for festivals and events. We'll provide it at minimal cost," Saha said.
Self-help groups will staff the plant. A similar bottling proposal by former chairman Ashok Kumar Mitra before the Lok Sabha polls had identified land but fizzled out.
This time, Saha vowed determination to deliver.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.