(Top) Sant Tulsi Sarobar near Pahala on the outskirts of Bhubaneswar. (Left) Highrises are coming up near the neglected water body. Telegraph pictures

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 27: A real estate boom in Pahala on the city outskirts has not ensured supply of pipe water to the area.

Residents of the area have demanded renovation of Sant Tulsi Sarobar, a large water body located there, to help recharge groundwater.

The area falls in ward No. 4 of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC). High iron content in the groundwater here is making residents here look for other sources of potable water.

Kailash Chandra Behera, a resident of the area, said residents of Pahala, Johala, Banguari, Jaipur, Nuapatna and Haridaspur were all facing a problem in finding safe drinking water.

“The authorities, including local elected representatives such as MLAs, have promised us pipe water supply on many occasions, but nothing has materialised. The authorities should renovate the Sant Tulsi Sarobar as soon as possible, as it is the only water body in the area,’’ Behera said.

Local businessman Basant Kumar Panda said: “There was a plan to supply pipe water from the Kuakhai river, as the area falls in the East-Kuakhai region of the Bhubaneswar Development Authority’s master plan. But the Public Health Engineering Organisation (PHEO) is not taking any steps to start the project. With permission given for new urban settlements, people who come to live in the upcoming buildings will suffer because of high iron content in the groundwater.’’

The municipal authorities are yet to take steps to renovate the historic water body named after Sant Tulsi Das. Legend has it that the sage spent some time here on his way to Puri.

City engineer T.B.K. Shroff denied the charge that the civic authorities were slow in renovating the water body.

“There were several issues, such as encroachment, that were plaguing the water body. Some people were trying to take ownership of the vital water body. We are all set to launch the renovation work. We plan to invest around Rs 50 lakh to renovate the historic pond,’’ he said.

A faculty member of a nearby Apex Engineering College said more than 1,2,00 students were studying at the college and the water problem was worrisome. “We have to use special water purifiers, but the filters have to be changed every six months. This is possible for an institute like ours, but not all residents.” He added that residents here were suffering from many kinds of gastro-intestinal diseases.

PHEO superintending engineer Chittaranjan Jena told The Telegraph: “There is a plan for pipe water supply to East-Kuakhai region. The project has been referred to the state government for approval. Once we get the approval, we can float tenders so that the work can start. The plan will start in phases. Water cannot be sourced from Kuakhai and taken to Pahala immediately. Water supply can be ensured in a phased manner.’’

Local councillor Sukumar Sahoo said that pipe water was only available near Naharkanta now, as there was a good source of groundwater there. “But in the other areas of ward No. 4, sourcing of quality groundwater remains a difficult task. We are banking on the PHEO’s future project involving pipe water supply to East-Kuakhai.’’

Not only housing activities, opening of several big showrooms along NH-5 near Pahala has also changed the skyline of the area. “We have to ensure water for the people living here first, as real estate development has started in a big way near Pahala.

The PHEO should start the water supply project soon, otherwise as in Pokhariput, residents will get pipe water a decade after living in the area,’’ said Piyush Ranjan Rout, a city-based urban planner.