People store normal water like it is Gangajal, says a priest at parched Madhukam area in the capital.

Around 2.5 lakh residents of Madhukam and smaller localities in west-central Ranchi, which fall under ward 28 of Ranchi Municipal Corporation, appear to have mastered the art of living with very little water.

Water from Kanke Dam comes to these localities in taps for some 30 minutes or so at 5am. This apart, there are RMC tankers and the few hand pumps that still manage to draw water.

Two years ago in summer, many left their homes and moved to other places owing to water scarcity. This year, they are staying put.

Vikrant Kumar Vishwakarma, a resident of Swarn Jayanti Nagar of Madhukam, explained how they were rationing water.

Transporter Rahul Kumar Burnwal of Sai Vihar Colony of Madhukam said two years back many had moved out owing to water scarcity but that was no long-term solution. “How can we leave our homes? We are staying here and we collect water from tankers sent by Ranchi Municipal Corporation and spend it judiciously,” Barnwal said.

Vikrant Kumar Vishwakarma, a resident of Swarn Jayanti Nagar of Madhukam, explained how they were rationing water.

“Earlier, I used at least two buckets to bathe, now its just half a bucket. We used to throw leftover detergent water after washing clothes, now we use that to sweep floors. Not a drop is wasted,” he said.

Chandan Soni, who resides in Madhukam’s Gopal Mandir Lane, said he fills at least seven buckets from water in the tap. “Water is supplied just for 30 minutes in my lane in morning at 5am from a public tap. I positively reach to the tap to collect six to seven buckets of water and manage entire day with it,” Soni said.

Priest Suman Pathak of a Shiv temple at Sai Vihar Colony of Madhukam said unlike most hand pumps had dried up in the locality, the one on temple premises had not, which is why many people came to the temple for water. “For people here, every drop is like Gangajal,” he said.

Rahul Choudhary, representative of local ward councillor Rashmi Choudhary, admitted to the acute water scarcity. “But we are doing what we can. We regularly supply water in three 4,000-litre tankers. At most places, water is supplied every second day,” he said.

Executive engineer of drinking water and sanitation department Tapeshwar Choudhary claimed his department wasn’t responsible for the crisis. “We supply water regularly but people whose personal boring at homes are dry often illegally draw water from main supply pipe, which disturbs even distribution. RMC is supposed to look into the matter,” Choudhary said.

Asked how illegal drawing of water from the main line with motorised pumps could be stopped, RMC assistant engineer Mukesh Kumar couldn’t give a convincing reply. “We asked Jharkhand Vidyut Vitran Nigam official to cut power at the time of water supply so that people won’t be able to use motors,” he said.