BERHAMPUR: With the onset of harsh summer the drinking water distribution in the city is slowly turning into a law and order situation which needs police intervention. It may be noted that during the past years the manhandling of the officials and technicians involved in drinking water supply has always occurred in drinking water-scarce areas of the city. Added to it at times drinking water supply to the city gets disrupted due to cutting of the main water supply pipeline to the city from the Rushikulya drinking water project by miscreants.

Police patrolling was also used to stop this mischief. The total water need of the city is around 45.90 million litres per day (MLD), while the average supply throughout the year is around 33 MLD. But during the summer months it goes down to 27 MLD. As per the official records the city has 13,570 water connections to houses. Added to it and there are 1725 public stand posts for water supply to general public in different areas. Added to it there are thousands of illegal water connections, which has made the management of the scarce water supply to all the areas of the city a major headache for officials. So long queues, quarrels and fights near public taps becomes a common phenomenon during summer months in the city.

It is alleged that the large-scale use of electric pumps by families and establishments to draw water from the drinking water supply pipelines is to be blamed for the improper distribution of water in the city. During past years the authorities had to resort to power-cut during drinking water supply time in the city.

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