PANCHTHAR: The locals of Phidim, district headquarters of Panchathar are reeling under water shortages for over a week.

Following a pipe burst, the water supply authorities – Drinking Water Division Office and Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumer Committee – have failed to provide the locals with water from the nearest source at a distance of 45-kilometres from the town centre.

Residents of Phidim Municipality ward 2 and 4 are the most troubled as water shortage grips the town that consumes 100, 000 litres of water daily.

At present, people from town centre queue for long hours to fill buckets from nearby water sources.

Meanwhile, the authorities are unclear on when the water canal that was destroyed following a pipe burst would be repaired.

According to committee Chair Gajadhar Bhattarai, 20 workers are toiling to reconstruct the damaged stretch of water supply canal but the authorities can say with certainty when the reconstruction would conclude.