They get supply of only one-fourth of the total requirement of 16 lakh gallons of water.

According to an official source, the Bandarban Pourasabha and the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) jointly control water supply system in the town. But the two organisations lack coordination and understanding resulting in people's sufferings.

Moreover, three out of four pump machines are out of order for the last two years. The lone pump provides 4,00,000 gallons of water harnessing water from the Sangu river adjacent to water treatment plant at Kewehing Ghata in the town.

A big water tank at Islampur under Bandarban municipality was declared abandoned three years ago only after six months of its unplanned construction by the DPHE. As a result, the government lost about two crore taka.

Local people further alleged, about 300 ring-wells, Tara pumps and tube-wells constructed in the town by the DPHE, Bandarban municipality and other government and non-government organisations are lying out of order for a long period. But no steps were taken to reoperate those.

Meanwhile, Bandarban town water supply authorities received an urgent notice from the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB) to pay outstanding bill amounting to one crore sixty lakh taka. Electricity connection would be snapped for non-payment of bill, the BPDB warned.

On contact, DPHE Executive Engineer Mohammed Mostafa told this correspondent the water supply authorities are losing two lakh taka every month. However, efforts are going on to solve water crisis, he added.