SILIGURI, West Bengal: A Seminar under the title “Critical Situations of Environment in North Bengal and Its Solution” was organised by a Siliguri-based organisation called Himalayan Nature & Adventure Foundation (HNAF) where social organisations engaged in the conservation of nature asked the local bodies, including the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC), to take action to reduce the pollution in Mahananda and other rivulets which flows through the city.
In the seminar, Naba Dutta, a Representative of Sabuj Mancha, said that some of the rivers in the state, including Mahananda, are becoming dumping yards. Around 351 rivers in the country have been identified as polluted, and 17 of them lie in West Bengal. He added, “In 2018, the Vidyadhari and the Mahananda were identified by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as the two most polluted rivers in the country. It is high time that steps are taken to check the pollution on these two rivers.” Sabuj Mancha is a congregation of over 100 organisations spread across the state.
Gautam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri, who was present in the seminar, informed the participants about the initiative of SMC. Deb said, “Along with the Mahananda, we are also taking steps to rejuvenate the Fuleswari, Jorapani and the Panchanoi, three rivulets which flow through Siliguri. We have been running the civic body for the past 15 months and are taking all efforts to check the pollution of water bodies. It is an uphill task and will take time.”