If the rising temperature and frequent power cuts were not enough,
water crisis has compounded the woes of people of Jharsuguda,
Brajrajnagar and Belpahar municipalities.

Jharsuguda Municipality
has a population of 1,02,875 living in 24 wards. But water is supplied
to just five wards. As against the total requirement of 13.88 MLD
(million litres per day), the supply is limited to 4.94 MLD.

In
Brajrajnagar Municipality having 23 wards with a population of 86,400,
the water requirement is 11.66 MLD. However, just 3.11 MLD is supplied.

Similarly,
in Belpahar Municipality having a population of 47,983, water is
supplied to seven wards. The requirement is 6.47 MLD, but only 0.65 MLD
is met from open wells.

According to PHED sources, water
requirement of three municipalities totals 32.01 MLD, but only 8.70 MLD
is supplied at present. To meet the shortfall of 23.31 MLD, the local
administration has been supplying water through 14 tankers in areas
under Jharsuguda, Brajrajnagar and Belpahar municipalities.

Jharsuguda
MLA Naba Kishore Das said Rs 32 crore was sanctioned for a water
project from Urban Infrastructure Development Fund for Jharsuguda town
and the project is expected to be completed in 2014. “Once the project
is commissioned, people in all 24 wards will get water through pipe
connections,” he said.