Biratnagar, April 2:

Summer is here. And, so is the all-too-expected drinking water crisis. Biratnagar sub-metropolis is already beating its breast as the Nepal Drinking Water Corporation (NWDC) has failed to raise supply according to demand.

As if the vagaries of the weather were not enough, the five-hour-long load-shedding has made it difficult to supply sufficient water, said Biratnagar-based NDWC sources.

According to Khadananda Dev, technical officer in the corporation, the public demand is 11.5 million litres of water daily in the sub-metropolis. But the corporation can supply only 8.5 millions of litres.

This season, there is a shortfall of three million litres of water daily, Dev said. The corporation is supplying water through four overhead tanks based at Teenpaini, Devkota chowk, Munalpath and Rani.