Bid to supply fresh drinking water

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Aug 17: The Malda public health engineering arsenic division has planned to set up 27 new small water treatment plants for distribution of arsenic-free drinking water in villages. The superintending engineer of Malda PHE, Mr S Hoque, said the department is planning to set up small arsenic removal units for distribution of drinking water in those areas where the underground water is highly contaminated. The engineers have identified 27 spots in Manikchak, English Bazaar, Ratua I and Ratua II blocks where the department could not supply arsenic free water from the existing arsenic free water treatment projects. The new units would be set up based on ground level water and would cover at least two to three villages, Mr Hoque, said. The engineers have submitted the list of the left out areas with soil test reports to the government for final approval. The Centre and the state government would jointly bear the expenses for the new project, officials, said. On the other hand, supply of arsenic free water through street taps in both urban and rural areas in English Bazaar has been suspended owing to a “technical problem.” The executive engineer of Malda PHE department, Mr AK Das, said the supply of water was suspended following “electrical fault” at the pump house. “Normal distribution of arsenic free water would begin soon,” he added. Thousands of people depend on this drinking water service at English Bazaar. The suspension of the service has forced them to drink contaminated ground level water. The PHE arsenic division has also planned to provide house-to-house connection in the rural belt to earn revenue and run the existing projects at Kaliachak and Manikchak. On 1 August, the Malda district magistrate had convened a meeting with the officials concerned, including the block development officers on this issue and it was decided that they would launch a special drive to convince the people for household connection.