Residents of all 47 wards of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) have been facing an acute shortage of drinking water for the third consecutive day, resulting in long queues in front of mobile water tankers deployed by the civic body.

The disruption in the water supply began on Sunday because of the high turbidity in the Teesta river, caused by incessant rainfall in the upper catchment areas. Officials said the silty water made it difficult for the Fulbari water treatment plant, located on the city’s outskirts, to operate at full capacity.

“The civic board should have an alternative mechanism in place to ensure uninterrupted water supply during such emergencies,” said Raju Sarkar, a resident of Pradhan Nagar

At Bhaktinagar, a homemaker standing in a queue for water expressed her frustration. “It is becoming difficult to manage daily chores. We have been running from one tanker to another,” she said.

Opposition parties at the SMC — the BJP and the Left Front — staged separate protests outside the SMC headquarters, slamming the Trinamool-led civic board for its failure to resolve the situation.

“The mayor has repeatedly claimed that contingency plans are in place, but the situation is there for everyone to see,” said Amit Jain, the leader of the Opposition at the SMC and a BJP councillor. “Given his failure, he should resign immediately.”

Jain warned that if the water crisis was not resolved within 72 hours, the BJP would launch an indefinite sit-in protest at the civic office.

Left supporters also staged a protest carrying empty pots and placards that read “Jal Chai, Jal Dao (We need water, give us water)”.

Saradindu Chakraborty, a Left councillor, blamed the Trinamool Congress for neglecting infrastructure upgrades initiated during the Left regime. “Unfortunately, the current board has failed to act swiftly and decisively,” he said.

Mayor Gautam Deb spoke to Surendra Gupta, principal secretary of the state public health engineering department, on Tuesday morning to explore ways to mitigate the crisis. Deb also visited the Fulbari treatment plant and said the administration was taking urgent steps.

“We are distributing water through mobile tankers and have arranged water pouches for immediate relief. I will also meet the state irrigation minister in Siliguri tomorrow (on Wednesday) to find a speedy solution,” Deb said.

Sources in the SMC said the swollen Teesta was carrying excessive sediments. “If the muddy water is allowed into the intake well, it will choke the system and take weeks to clear,” one official said.

The turbidity has already restricted water inflow into the treatment facility, significantly impacting the supply.

Siliguri’s daily demand for drinking water stands at around 100 million litres per day (MLD), but with the current limitations, the plant manages to supply only about 50 MLD.