Dharamshala, July 31 -- Mandi town, which bore the brunt of monsoon havoc, and faced severe flash flood on Tuesday, is grappling with drinking water crisis. Mandi residents, already struggling with the aftermath of the flash flood that caused widespread destruction and claimed three lives in the town, say that the disruption in water supply due to heavy rainfall has further added to their woes. Officials said that the water supply has been completely disrupted due to excessive silt deposited in the intake system in the Uhl river. Apart from this, the main drinking water pipeline near Madhyani Nala has also suffered serious damage. The pipeline breakages were reported on Tuesday in several areas, including Bijni, Tarna, Jail Road, Sauli Khad, Ramnagar, Purani Mandi, Bhiuli, Khaliar, Sanyardi, and Nela, further disrupting the water supply system. Deepak Guleria, of Thanera Mohalla in Mandi, said that ever since Tuesday havoc, residents have been facing a shortage of drinking water. "We haven't received drinking water since Tuesday. People need water not just for drinking but also for cleanliness. Today, we had to use water from a natural source in our locality. We face such situations every monsoon," he said. Avninder Singh, former MC councillor and a resident of Ramnagar in Mandi said, "Those who had stored water are now using it, while others are in a difficult situation. People have even started using water from stepwells (bawdis). The problem will increase if water supply is not restored in a few days," he said. Executive engineer of Jal Shakti Mandal Mandi, Praveen Gupta, said the department has begun repair and restoration work on a war footing. "We are repairing the main water supply line that comes from the Uhl River, and work on the intake system has also commenced. Heavy rainfall and flash floods have caused extensive damage. We are making every effort to restore the water supply by Thursday, depending on weather conditions," he said. Himachal public works department (PWD) minister Vikramaditya Singh on Wednesday visited the Mandi town and took stock of the damage caused by the flash flood. He visited Jail Road and Palace area in ward number 5 as well as Zonal Hospital Road, Kalyan Dham, Sain Mohalla and other affected places. He also met the affected families and assured them of all possible help. He said that relief and rehabilitation work is underway on a war footing, Vikramaditya said, adding, "Due to landslides, heavy rocks have fallen at many places and roads have been blocked, which will be removed through controlled blasting with robot machines so that the safety of the common people can be ensured."...