Bhubaneswar: Senior officials of the government's Public Health Engineering Organisation (Pheo) have started preparing contingent plan for smooth supply of drinking water to households as its employees are on an indefinite strike.

In a direction issued to all the superintending and executive engineers, the Pheo has asked its officials to have plans ready to manage the supply of water during the strike.

"All possible steps should be taken for effecting uninterrupted water supply and prevent any sabotage in the system," reads the directive.

Officials said adequate number of water tankers and stand-by employees have been put in readiness to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the households.

"We have convened a meeting with our officials and decided on to keep the secondary source of water supply in readiness. If the pipe water supply gets affected because of the strike, we will ensure the supply with water tankers. We will hire the tankers if needed during the period," said superintending engineer C.R. Jena.

Officials said to combat the heatwave situation a plan has been drafted to meet with any emergency situation. "The agitation is their right, but on the other hand, we will also have to take care that our consumers are not affected. We will do our job accordingly," said a Pheo official.

The employees, under the banner of the State Public Health Engineering Workers' Association of Odisha, said they would not call off their strike unless the government assured them of considering their demand on a priority basis.

The agitators are demanding regularisation of temporary employees who have been working in the organisation since the past five years, abolition of the Water Corporation of Odisha, and payment of the pending arrears among others.

"We have been deprived of the services despite working effortlessly for years in the organisation. The government should consider our demands. This will benefit thousands of our employees and their family members. We are not going to call off the strike unless we get a concrete assurance," said an agitator.