BERHAMPUR: Silk City Berhampur is in the throes of water scarcity with residents of localities like Sarguna Street and Gurumurty Pentha in ward no 4 facing a tough time to get water for daily use. Even supply through tankers is reportedly erratic compounding their woes.
Attributed to a possible damage to pipelines, the water scarcity, residents alleged would not have pinched hard if supply through tankers was regular. Former corporator Ashok Shukla said, people of the ward are forced to walk a kilometre to collect water from ponds on the other side of NH-59.
Last month when WATCO announced 24x7 water supply to all households, it had raised the hopes of the residents. But since WATCO decided to supply water to localities in a phased manner, it had divided the city into 24 zones. In the first phase, four zones including Gate Bazaar, Gandhinagar, Gosaninuagaon and Goodshed Road and adjacent areas were to get 24x7 water by October end. However, the supply remains in the testing phase.
Rita Sahu of Goodshed road said a pipeline was connected to her house under Amrit Yojana. As the supply was just for a few hours daily, Rita’s family constructed a swamp and overhead tank to store and lift underground water. “Our locality was included in the first phase of the 24x7 water supply project. But no progress has been made yet,” she rued. Adding to the woes is damaged pipes. Senior advocate Pitabasa Panda said the city used to receive water from Janibili and Rushikulya projects along with 18 deep borewells. “But this project is a hoax,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, general manager of WATCO, Berhampur division Biswabandhu Panigrahi said, “We are committed to supply round-the-clock water to 60 per cent of households in the city before the end of the year.” Pipelines are being laid and of the 31 pipelines that pass through drains, 11 were diverted, he said adding, ward no 4 issue will be resolved in a week.
Water woes overflow