Balangir, Oct. 17: The town is set to get another piped-water project as the town reels from acute water scarcity.

The existing piped-water project, which supplies water to the town from Mahanadi in Sonepur, hardly serves the purpose. Planning and coordination minister Anang Uday Singhdeo informed the town residents about the project yesterday while speaking at the silver jubilee function of the Yadav Mahasabha here.

Singhdeo said: “The state government has approved a project that will supply piped-water to the town from river Tel near Tarabha. It is a Rs 65-crore project. Three tanks at Malpada, Rameswarnagar and Tulsinagar will also be constructed for smooth distribution of water. We are also making arrangements to provide 21 water tankers to the municipality, one for each ward.”

Piped-water supply to the town often breaks down because of problems such as technical snags and natural calamities like floods. Last month the residents had gone without piped-water for 21 days because of floods in the Mahanadi in Sonepur.

Executive engineer of Balangir public health division Bhakta Kavi Das said the project was in the priority list of the government. “The project will permanently solve the water woes of Balangir. Since water will be drawn from river Tel near Tarabha, there will be no scarcity of water even in summer,” Das said.

Das also said the project would take at least three years to complete. “Ductile iron pipes would be used instead of concrete ones, which would minimise leakage. Even if there are leakages, it can be easily repaired unlike in the case of concrete pipes. In the second stage, some five overhead tanks will also be constructed for better distribution of water in the town,” he said.