Slum-dwellers carry drinking water home after collecting it from a deep tube well in Paradip. Telegraph picture

Paradip, April 20: The bustling industrial hub is reeling from severe water crisis with the rise in the mercury level.

To make the matter worse, pipes have developed cracks in strategic places and huge amounts of water are being wasted. As the sheer wastage of water goes on unabated, domestic water taps are going dry.

“Authorities are insensitive to the people’s plight. Before the onset of summer, the pipes were repaired hurriedly. The quality of repair was bad and the maintenance work leaves much to be desired. As a result, the repaired pipelines failed to withstand the pressure and burst,” said Harihar Rout, a local resident.

Authorities maintained that the pipes were being repaired on a war footing so that water is not wasted. With the pipes broken, the threat of water contamination also looms large.

“The port town is experiencing the water shortage and this is due to depletion of the water level in Taladanda canal. The situation has considerably improved now. We are trying our best to tackle the situation,” said executive engineer of public health engineering department (environment and civil), Gangadhar Sethy.

There has been drastic fall in the water level both at the Taladanda canal and three water reservoirs in the port town. While three million gallons of water is required each day, hardly two million gallons are now being generated. This had triggered the crisis. The situation will return to normal in a day or two, he said.