JHARSUGUDA: Several areas under Belpahar Municipality are facing acute shortage of drinking water.
Only seven of the 19 Wards under the municipality are covered under piped water supply of the Public Health and Engineering Department (PHD). Water supplied through tankers by the civic body does not suffice in meeting the requirement of people.
Belpahar town, which has a population of 49,247, requires 6.47 Million Litres per Day (MLD) but at present, PHD is supplying only 0.65 MLD.
Even as the State Government had announced a mega water project at river Ib to meet the water needs of people of Jharsuguda, Belpahar and Brajrajnagar towns, no work on it has started so far. Assistant Engineer, PHD, Ganeshwar Behera said a Greater Water Supply Project at river Ib is in the pipeline that will address the water scarcity in Belpahar township.