A villager of Kendrapara carries water. Telegraph picture

Kendrapara, April 12: With summer making its presence felt, residents of Kendrapara district headquarters township are beginning to experience shortage of potable water.

Cracks in underground pipelines and dysfunctional pump houses are being attributed as principal factors for the prevailing crisis. A decrease in the water level of Luna rivulet, from which water is drawn for supply to the local residents, has created further problems.

“Before the onset of the summer months, it was being predicted that the township would face water crisis. But the officials have failed to act on time. It’s criminal negligence on part of the authorities concerned,” said Ganeswar Behera, former minister and senior Congress leader.

“Everything has gone haywire. There are cracks in the pipeline. Inadequate stock of water in the reservoir has become a permanent feature. Power supply is also erratic to the riverside water-drawing station and water treatment plant. As a result, uninterrupted water supply does not happen,” said Pramod Sahu, a civil society rights activist.

The localities reeling under drinking water crisis include, Icchapur, Mahipal, Nasadipur, Bhageswarpur, Mankarpur, Khadianga and Gobindajewpatana. Urban water supply had come to a halt for the past two days in these localities. In the remaining urban settlements, things were no better and water supply was erratic, Sahu said.

The crux of the problem was that the water drawing centre at riverside Kalapada and the effluent treatment plant at Icchapur is frequently hit by power cuts. With power breakdown becoming a daily ritual, these stations are failing to ensure uninterrupted water supply to the entire township, said Parikhit Patra, a lawyer.