Bhojpur, June 3

Bhojpur is beginning to face water crunch mostly due to increasing population in the district and lack of efforts from the concerned authorities to identify new water sources.

Silichung Drinking Water Main Consumers’ Committee, that manages drinking water in the district, has been supplying water to the locals for one hour in the morning. The consumers, however, complained that the water supplied during that one hour was not enough for them.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the committee Nabin Pradhan attributed the water scarcity to increasing demand and high consumption of water. He also blamed protracted drought, growing urbanisation and increasing population, among others, for the water crunch.

Pradhan said the demand for water had gone up after the quake victims started reconstructing their houses damaged by last year’s earthquake. “The water crisis surfaced after local folks started hoarding water for reconstruction of their houses,” Pradhan said.

The consumers’ committee has been distributing water to as many as 1,326 households of Bhojpur and its adjoining areas, including Taksar and Bhaisipankha VDCs. Pradhan said exploration of new water sources could end water storage in the district.