Jalpaiguri: The ‘Jal Swapna’ project has come to a standstill in Dooars due to a sharp decline in groundwater levels caused by insufficient winter rainfall. The Public Health Engineering (PHE) department has struggled to locate water sources, even after drilling 400 metres deep.
This has resulted in a severe water shortage across Nagrakata, Meteli, Mal and parts of Banarhat block. Experts attribute the situation to the absence of strong westerly winds during winter, leading to reduced rainfall. The lack of groundwater recharge has delayed the installation of deep tubewells for the project, raising concerns about an acute water crisis in the coming weeks. Currently, progress on the ‘Jal Swapna’ project stands at 51.25 per cent in the district. PHE officials are hesitant to proceed with excavation in Kilkot, Nageshwari, Chilauni, Samsing (Meteli block), Putharjhora, Hayhay Pathar, Bagrakot (Mal block), the entire Nagrakata block and the Bhutan border areas of Banarhat. Even with specialised underground detection equipment, viable water tables have not been located beyond 400 metres in these regions.
Somnath Chowdhury, Executive Engineer of the PHE department, explained: “Dooars are composed of crushed stone formations, causing rainwater to drain rapidly downhill. The lack of rainfall between December and March has led to a significant drop in groundwater levels. Even after drilling to 400 metres, no water is found. If this trend continues, installing deep tube wells will become nearly impossible in many areas. Abundant rainfall is our only hope for restoring water levels.”
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported below-average rainfall in Jalpaiguri district. December 2023 saw only 8 mm of rain, followed by a drizzle in January 2024, 1.2 mm in February, and 86 mm in March. The dry spell continued in 2024-25, with no rain in December, 7 mm in January 2025, 1.2 mm in February, and 12.50 mm recorded until March 20. Gopinath Raha of the Indian Meteorological Department, Gangtok, explained the changing weather pattern, stating: “For the past three years, strong westerly winds have not passed over Dooars.
These winds traditionally moved from Jammu & Kashmir toward Arunachal Pradesh, bringing winter rainfall to this region. However, in the last two years, they have shifted toward North Sikkim instead. As a result, Dooars have remained largely dry.”
However, meteorologists note a recent change in weather conditions, with cloud formation since Friday, raising the possibility of hailstorms and thunderstorms in the region.