PHE proposes drinking water projects for villages

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 29 JUNE: The Public Health Engineering (PHE) has submitted several small-scale drinking water projects to its higher authorities for approval.The PHE in particular wishes to implement the schemes in the currently left out villages in Old Malda, Habibpur, Bamongola and Harishchandrapur blocks. The officials of the PHE chief engineer's office have started their examination of these schemes. Implementation will occur on a priority basis.The PHE plans to set up deep tube wells to lift up water, and then distribute it to the villages where there previously has not been a drinking water project in place.The executive engineer, PHE, Mr Swapan Maitra said: “We have planned to supply drinking water by lifting it up from under the ground in the arsenic free zone. After the water has been lifted, there will be a test to see if there are abnormal quantities of iron present in the water. If so, we will set up iron removal units before distribution.”A few months ago, workers from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) detected fluoride contamination of ground water in Pakuahat and other areas of Bamongola block. The presence of fluoride was found to be above the permissible limit in drinking water sources.“Five such schemes have been prepared for Harishchandrapur block. Similarly, we have submitted proposals for drinking water schemes in other blocks like Old Malda, Habibpur and Bamongola”, Mr. Maitra said. These areas are arsenic contaminated like Kaliachak, Manikchak, English Bazaar and Ratua, he claimed. The estimated cost of each scheme is nearly Rs. 2 to 2.50 crore including the laying of pipelines for distribution to some villages. The PHE will start the work after approval is granted from its higher authorities. Today, the top officials of the PHE held a meeting to select a few schemes out of those submitted earlier by the Malda PHE.


Rly passengers abused

MALDA, 29 JUNE: Mr Abhigyan Sengupta, a teacher of Raghunathpur High School in Murshidabad, lodged a complaint at the English Bazaar police station against the assistant station manager of Malda town station, Mr Amitava Roy. Mr Sengupta was allegedly roughed up by Mr Roy at Malda town station this morning. Hundreds of daily passengers were protesting against the delay of the train which travels from Malda to Azimganj in Murshidabad, and from Malda to Katihar in Bihar. When the angry passengers went to Mr Roy to lodge their protest, the latter, instead of hearing the grievances, turned violent. ;SNS