Besides, rampant theft of water through illegal connection set up in connivance of a section of Wasa employees are also responsible for water shortage, sources said. According to Wasa, more than 1,000 illegal water connections exist in Dhaka.

Due to the low-voltage problem, the daily water supply reduces by more than 10 crore litres. Wasa's maximum capacity is 150 crore to 160 crore litres against the demand of more than 200 crore litres. The current capacity is 140 crore to 145 crore litres.

Residents of different parts of the capital alleged that they get bad-smelled water from Wasa. The areas are Jatrabari, Mirhajirbagh, Sayedabad, Khilgaon, Malibagh, Moghbazar, Rampura, Khilgaon, Badda and Old Dhaka.

M Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Moghbazar said, "People at Peyarabagh and Moghbazar wireless areas get Wasa water mixed with dirt and sewage waste." Similar allegation came from the residents of Rampura and Badda areas.

The residents of Mirpur, Kalyanpur, Mohammadpur, Adabar, West Dhanmondi, Rayerbazar, Nimtala and Dhanmondi Road No-15 are facing water shortage. "We are facing this problem from the last seven to eight days," said M Mustafiz of Jigatola.

Mosharraf Hossain, a resident of Jatrabari, said the water they are getting from Sayedabad water treatment plant is bad-smelled. "It is undrinkable."

When asked Wasa Managing Director ANH Akhter Hossain identified three reasons behind the problem. He said 85 percent water comes from underground source but during summer the underground water table is dropped resulting in low production.

Secondly, he said, low voltage and power cut cause disruption in water supply. And finally, 15 percent water comes from surface source. During summer the water level of both the Shitalakhya and Buriganga go down to increase the level of pollution. As a result, the purification process takes more time.

Akhter Hossain also blamed the pumps which have gone out of order, for the water supply shortage. Once a pump goes out of order, it takes 12 to 24 hours to repair it.

On the allegation of bad-smelled water, he said the amount of ammonia used as a water purifying substance is increased when the river water gets more polluted during summer. This ammonia creates a smell, he claimed.

Asked about the complaint of water mixed with waste, he said it could happen for cracks in the pipelines and linkage for taking illegal connections. "I visited some areas of Mirpur and found many illegal connections," he said.

There are 409 deep tube-wells and four surface water treatment plants of Wasa. Sayedabad water treatment plant takes water from the Shitalakhaya and Chandnighat treatment plant from the Buriganga.