Patna, March 31: If the taps in your home run dry this summer, there is hardly anything you can do but pray to the water gods.

Half the volume of water supplied by Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) is lost in transmission. Reason: leakage in supply pipelines.

According to a survey by a private agency for the civic body, around 175 million litres per day (MLD) is lost in transmission, courtesy the ill-maintained water supply network. The private agency did not wish to reveal its identity.

“The analysis covers PMC areas, Danapur, Khagaul and Phulwari Sharif. The civic body water supply network covers 52 per cent of the area in its jurisdiction. The city depends mostly on groundwater sources. PMC draws about 375MLD water through its 89 tube wells. But the demand is about 250MLD. Of the total water drawn, 46 per cent is lost during transit. The actual volume of water reaching the taps is about 200MLD,” said a PMC source.

He said the main reason behind the water loss is bursting of pipelines. Design mismatch in the pump and the pipeline capacity creates high pressure in certain areas and low pressure in others. This leads to the pipes getting damaged.

The source told The Telegraph: “Bihar Rajya Jal Parishad (BRJP) is responsible for the design and implementation of the water supply infrastructure in Patna. The operation and maintenance of the systems are undertaken by PMC in its jurisdiction and BRJP in other areas.”

He added that the water supply network of the city has not been repaired for decades.

The report is hardly a surprise for the city residents. Most of them know that the water supply system in Patna is in a shambles.

Mayor Afzal Imam said water was being wasted because of delay on the part of BRJP in handing over pumps to PMC at many places.

Divesh Sehra, PMC commissioner and ex-officio managing director of BRJP, said a comprehensive water supply project is on the anvil. “It will take care of the water supply demand and existing gaps in the network,” said Sehra.

In the meanwhile, both the residents and the civic body are suffering. According to the survey report, the cost recovery rate is as low as 12 per cent of the annual expenditure.