Statesman News Service
MALDA, 22 MARCH: The Farakka Barrage Project authorities fear that it might not be able to provide water to the PHE for onward distribution of arsenic-free drinking water project in Malda from 1 April.
The FBP tried, suspending water supply to Bangladesh through the Farakka Barrage last night, to increase the water level in the Ganga, which has started rising after the suspension.
According to the FBP authorities, it would have to resume releasing water to Bangladesh from 1 April for 10 days at least and that would affect the water level in the Ganga and affect the PHE’s water source.
The FBP’s general manager Mr K Yadav has informed that situation to the Malda district magistrate Mr Sridhar Ghosh and urged him to draw the attention of the higher authorities to sort out the problem. “The rate of discharge in the Ganga has drastically reduced this dry spell”, Mr Yadav informed.
According to irrigation department officials here, if Uttar Pradesh and Bihar do not receive rain in March and April the rate of discharge in the Ganga would not increase.
“We do not know what the fate of arsenic free water treatment plants would be after 1 April. If the pond level in the Ganga goes down again we would have to arrange alternative source of water to supply water to the people”, said Mr Debashish Banerjee, executive engineer, PHE in Malda.
The PHE could not lift water from the Ganga at Rajnagar Ghaat since 18 March due to a fall in the water level. It has affected distribution of arsenic free water to over 5.50 lakh people in Kaliachak I, II and III. Following the syndrome, the district administration yesterday decided to supply drinking water through water tanks at 33 points in two blocks from Monday.
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