Bhojpur, March 11 Residents of Bhojpur Municipality and its adjoining areas have been reeling under acute shortage of water of late. The water crunch has been attributed to the long drought. Local residents started facing water crisis as the local water sources went dry due to the long drought, while demand for water has been ever increasing, said Nabin Pradhan, Chairman of Silichung Drinking Water Main Consumers’ Committee. “The demand for water increased as houses damaged in the earthquakes last year are being reconstructed,” he said. Krishna Maya Tamang, treasurer of the consumers’ committee, said the locals had to face water crunch after the water pipes were buried and disconnected at different places due to the use of excavators to bring down quake-damaged houses. The area has been receiving water supply for only two hours a day of late, which hardly meets the demand. Silichung Drinking Water and Sanitation Main Consumers’ Committee Bhojpur attributed the water shortage to the prolonged drought, growing urbanisation and population growth, among others reasons. The committee has been supplying water to as many as 1,326 households of Bhojpur Municipality.