SONARPUR: To resolve the problem of drinking water, the Sundarban Development Authority (SDA) is planning to install reservoirs in some blocks of Sundarban. There is an acute scarcity of drinking water in the remote villages of Sundarban. The villagers living in far-flung pockets used to drink water from ponds and draw water from tube wells which are very few in number to meet the water demand. Due to the proximity of the Sundarbans to the Bay of Bengal the waters in the ponds and creeks are heavy in its saline content. As the saline water is highly unhygienic for drinking, the village folks have to walk a long distance to draw water. Cultivation is also hampered due to lack of irrigation facilities. The peasants depend upon the monsoons for their harvest. To solve these problems, the Sundarban Development Authority has undertaken a package of schemes. The SDA renovated the 425 km long canal and began dredging operations in the Sonakhali canal, Gosaba canal and Pathar canals. To develop the irrigation system, the SDA installed reservoirs in the paddy fields so that rainwater can be stored for irrigation. A plan is afoot to filter the saline water and supply it to the villagers. Apart from the SDA, some NGOs notably the Kultali Nirman Tirtha Society, Baram Ghosh Gram Bikash Kendra have actively participated in this noble mission of making drinking water available to the villagers. The local people have been involved in the dredging operation carried out by the NREGA. Mr Kanti Ganguly, minister for Sundarban Development told The Statesman that his department has started to filter water and distribute it among the villagers. On the other hand, Mr Bhismadev Dasgupta, additional district magistrate of South 24-Parganas said that they have been exploring the possibility of an alternative source of drinking water. The village folks are hopeful that they would get sufficient drinking water if the projects becomes a reality.