Bhubaneswar: The Public Health Engineering Organisation (Pheo) employees have gone on an indefinite strike from Tuesday in support of their demands triggering fears of water scarcity in the city.

Nearly 100 employees working with the three Pheo divisions here are demanding a salary hike, regularisation of jobs and implementation of welfare schemes for them and their family members.

"We have long been suppressed by the government. We will not call off the strike until we get an assurance," said a protester.

Senior Pheo officials have sought to assure people that water supply would not be affected because of the strike and that they were ready to tackle any situation.

"The government will consider their demands if they are genuine, but water supply will not be hampered. The agitating employees are mainly the human resource consultants. Most of our ground-level workers are on the field taking care of the water supply network," said Pheo superintending engineer C.R. Jena.

Despite assurance by the senior officials, reports of late supply of drinking water in various parts of the city came in on Tuesday from Rasulgarh, GGP Colony, Patia and some other places. Sources, however, maintained that the supply was delayed not because of the strike.

"Water usually comes around 2pm and continues till 5pm. Today (Tuesday), it started around 4pm and continued till 6pm," said Patia resident Ratikant Ojha.