JOYNAGAR (South 24-Parganas): Drinking water scarcity is still a major problem for the residents of 100-year-old Joynagar Mazilpur Municipality. Two reservoirs had been inaugurated in the municipality (consisting of 14 wards) from 1978-1980 but 10 years later, drinking water scarcity became an issue again. The lack of maintenance rendered the two reservoirs decrepit resulting in the disruption of water supply.

The Muzaffargarh canal which had been closed for farmers for the last six months, is supplying water to the lands of bureaucrats and former military officials. This canal irrigates 0.8 million acre land, but it had been closed in Rabi season owing to construction of its banks and stone ditching as a result wheat crops were irrigated through peter engine and tubewells.

Water crisis has turned acute in the Rajshahi city due to frequent power outages and sharp decline in the groundwater level, causing immense sufferings to the city residents. The Rahjshahi City Corporation is now producing only 106 lakh gallons of water against the demand for 226 lakh gallons, according to corporation sources. Due to frequent load shedding and voltage fluctuation, the corporation cannot operate all its 46 pumps at a time to lift water for supply in the city areas.

The groundwater level in Dhaka is dipping because of a massive extraction of water from underground, according to a recent study. Experts said that the groundwater level was declining by up to three metres every year, posing a threat of landslide. According to a report,

City dwellers are facing acute water crisis as the Sylhet City Corporation can supply only 21 lakh litres of water per day against the demand of more than 65 lakh litres. Apart from technical faults, frequent load-shedding and low-voltage also seriously hamper the utility service in the city, sources in the city corporation said, adding that the authorities concerned can now provide less than one-third of required water.

Minister for Public Health Engineering Choudhary Chandrabhan Singh has instructed the officers concerned to ensure availability of spare parts required for repair of hand pumps to proper drinking water supply during the summer season. He directed that the hand pump technicians should be assigned works with spare parts and vehicles. The Minister has also asked the Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers and Executive Engineers to ensure storage of necessary material for repair of hand pumps to meet any emergency situation.

The Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) will outsource the testing of borewells in the City to a private agency. Tenders have been called for the work, which is expected to begin in a fortnight, BWSSB chairperson G Latha Krishna Rao told Deccan Herald. "We have a laboratory, but it is impossible to test all the parameters because of the huge number of borewells involved. Staff shortage is also an issue,' she said. Testing the potability of water is one parameter the BWSSB accords great importance to, she added.