BERHAMPUR: Residents of Gajapati Nagar locality on Tuesday staged road blockade by placing empty containers demanding supply of water to the area.
Satish Panigrahy, a resident, alleged that since the last five days, water has not been supplied to the area due to which locals are facing innumerable problems.
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A group of residents led by BJP leader Ram Kumar Patra also staged demonstration before the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) office over the demand.
They held discussion with Superintending Engineer AK Nayak who assured to resume water supply. Nayak said snags in pipelines have affected the supply of water.
Blaming the callous attitude of PHEO officials for the water crisis, RTI activist Sanyasi Gouda said supply lines have been damaged at various places in the city due to the ongoing laying of pipelines for Janilibli mega water supply project.
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This has resulted in a large quantity of water going waste and many areas getting deprived of water supply, he claimed.
Gouda further said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had directed for completion of the project within the stipulated time frame. But it could not be completed on time.
To avoid the wrath of the Chief Minister, PHEO officials made stop-gap arrangements so that he could inaugurate the incomplete project before the General Elections, he alleged.
He also alleged that on the pretext of supplying water, the PHEO hired several tankers but they were engaged in supplying water to hotels and apartments instead of common residents.