Distance causes difficulties in supply of arsenic-free water

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Oct 10: A large part of Kaliachak-I block including the Sujapur area is not getting sufficient arsenic free drinking water since the past few months due to its distant location.

Though Sujapur is under the area of Dariapur surface water treatment plant for southern sector, the public health engineering (PHE) officials are facing problem in supplying arsenic-free drinking water to those areas from its source located at Dariapur in Kaliachak III.

On the other hand, the PHE officials were not in a position to supply arsenic free water from its sources located in Manikchak and English Bazaar to cover northern sector areas as Sujapur is located at a considerable distance from these areas.

As a result, those living in a large part of Kaliachak-I block, situated between the two places are being deprived of adequate arsenic free drinking water.

It may be noted that since 1995 the PHE started working on setting up surface water treatment plants. During Id minority dominated areas like Sujapur, Jalalpur, Jadupur and even Shershahi and Majampur in Kaliachak -I did not get sufficient safe drinking water from the southern sector's pumping station. They are still facing this problem.

Initially the executive engineer of PHE (arsenic division) for southern sector Mr. Debashish Banerjee said: “Due to unstable power supply we are facing difficulties to supply water to distant areas like Sujapur. The power supply situation is not expected to improve even as the Pujas concluded yesterday. We are getting only 390 to 405 volts than the required 440 volts. How can we run our plant?”

He disclosed that it is very difficult to supply sufficient water from a distant location to some areas like Sujapur, Jalalpur, Bhagalpur, Majampur which are facing problems.

“To resolve the problem of the areas which are far away from the sources of southern and northern sectors, we have prepared a master plan. We have to set up additional reservoirs and pumping stations to supply arsenic free water to those areas”, Mr. Banerjee said.