Italian assistance to Haldibari Municipality

 

COOCH BEHAR, Dec. 4: Haldibari Municipality in Cooch Behar district is going to get assistance from Italian government to improve the drinking water supply facility and launching of solid waste processing management in the town. The Italian government is believed to extend assistance to the tune of Rs 3.77-crore to the civic body. Chairman of Haldibari Municipality Mr Gauranga Nag said they would use the proposed fund to better the water supply system and the drainage system.

 

Mr Nag told The Statesman that a team from Italy had visited Haldibari a few years back. "Recently, in a meeting held at Siliguri we came to know that the Italian government sanctioned an assistance of Rs 3.77-crore to our municipality", he said. The chairmans of 23 municipal bodies and officials concerned attended the meeting that was convened by the state municipal affairs minister Mr Ashok Bhattacharya.

 

The Haldibari Municipality chairman said there are four tubewells and two overhead water reservoirs in the town. Two of the tubewells used for the water sources are very old and one is lying defunct. The civic body will have to sink four new tubewells to ensure steady water supply. If necessary a new overhead reservoir may be constructed. Replacement of old pipelines and extension of new pipelines to the still uncovered areas are also under consideration. The civic body will also offer new water connections to the residences of the citizens, Mr Nag said.

 

The chairman said they might improve the drainage system of the town after receiving the Italian assistance. Under this scheme they will implement a plan for processing of solid waste to make fertiliser. It will also helpful in maintaining the environment clean. The fertiliser produced from the process will be sold off in the market to increase the revenue of the civic body. The municipal authority already purchased a six-bigha strip of land near Hujurer Mela Ground to set up the unit.

 

The civic body is also considering launching of house-to-house garbage collection in Haldibari like the similar facility introduced in Cooch Behar town. They already purchased about twenty cycle-vans for the purpose but the scheme is yet to be launched due to some problems. To run the house-to-house garbage collection the civic body will have to engage some workers. But, the question is - from where they to get the required fund to pay the workers. "We are trying to convince the citizens to pay a little sum per month as service tax to maintain the facility. If the citizens agree we have no problem to launch the facility", Mr Nag said. The Italian assistance may help the civic body to make the town pollution free, the chairman hoped. []