Odisha’s Sundargarh: Home to Ib faces acute water crisis as the river ‘dries up’ in summer

Sundargarh: Amid the scorching heat of summer and with mercury on the rise, the water supply to Sundargarh town was completely stopped today morning due to a thin flow of Ib river here drying up.

Public Health department in the town took such a decision as water flow to a treatment plant meant for supply and purification suffered an acute crisis. Allegedly, the Department has no other alternative.

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A source said that more than 60 per cent of residents in the town depend on the piped water supply to meet their household requirements. Some of the local residents managed their drinking water needs otherwise by collecting water from nearby wells and borewells, the source added.

“Public Health department officials lack farsightedness. Priority should have been given to a permanent source of water for supply purposes. Around Rs 40 crore was spent for laying pipes in Sundargarh town a couple of years ago, but to no avail. Without making adequate arrangements for a permanent source of procurement, what is the use of laying pipes?” many local residents questioned.

Worth mentioning, Sundargarh town recorded today a maximum temperature of 42.7 Degrees Celsius.