Patna, April 8: Water crisis is likely to continue for Patna residents this summer too. State urban development department’s proposal to install 38 borewells is unlikely to be completed this year because of the lackadaisical attitude of its officials.

According to sources, it was earlier decided that the Rs 40-crore project would be implemented through the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC).

Afzal Imam, the PMC mayor, said: “The department even gave Rs 2 crore to the PMC to complete the work. However, it was later decided that Bihar Rajya Jal Parishad (BRJP) would carry out the work and hence tenders were not invited. The project is stuck and there is no clarity about who would start the project and when.”

He said: “In addition to the borewells, overhead tankers are also proposed to be constructed. Currently, there are around 10 overhead tankers in the city and most of them are old. Water is directly supplied to houses after being pumped and this method needs to change in view of the requirement of the city.”

Sources said because of depletion owing to less rainfall in the past two years the people of the city are facing a severe water crisis.

According to a recent report by the Central Ground Water Board, mid-eastern region, the water table is depleting at the rate of 13cm every year in the state capital though it is situated just on the banks of Ganga.

In the past 20 years, the water level has receded by 2.5 metres.

Currently, there are 97 borewells of the PMC which supply water to the city.

The borewells supply water in the range of 50 to 200 metres. Besides, there are innumerable households and apartments with private tubewells, which extract water between 40 and 100 metres.

The city currently gets 200 million litre of water per day that is supplied by the PMC while most of the city still dependent on independent boring.

Shashank Shekhar Sinha, the executive officer of water supply department of the PMC, said: “The situation was not very bad now but could get grim during peak summer time. Less rainfall can lead to drastic fall in water table and the situation can get alarming if long-term plans are not made.”

The Jawaharlal Nehru Urban Rural Mission project, which envisages a large comprehensive plan to meet water supply needs of the city, has also been delayed for the past five years.

A source in the urban development department said the project costing over Rs 425 crore aims at constructing two treatment plants that will treat Ganga water for use for the first time.

The idea was first floated in 2006 and the costs were estimated at Rs 175 crore. The cost have now reached Rs 425 crore but a final DPR prepared by a private consultant for Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation has not been approved by the Centre, which is causing the delay.