Dhanbad, Oct. 25 -- With Diwali and Chhath Puja approaching, the Jharkhand Mineral Area Development Authority (JMADA) has begun cleaning a reservoir at its water treatment facility to maintain drinking water quality, but the operation is likely to partially disrupt supplies to nearly two lakh residents in several mining localities. Water supply through the 18-inch and 8-inch pipelines from Pathardih is expected to remain partially affected on October 24, 25 and 26, potentially complicating festive preparations for households dependent on the network. Kripa Shankar, Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of JMADA, said considerable dirt had accumulated in the plant's second clarifier, affecting the water supply system. The cleaning operation was necessary to maintain water quality and ensure better services during the festive season, he said. The 18-inch pipeline supplies water to Digwadih, Jiyalgora, Jorapokhar, Bhowra, Lodna, Jairampur and adjoining localities. Residents in these areas may face reduced supplies during the maintenance work. According to departmental information, water supply to Jharia through the 30-inch pipeline will continue as usual, although interconnected pipelines could affect some other areas. The disruption has also drawn attention to the pressure on JMADA's ageing water infrastructure, which serves large sections of Dhanbad's coal belt. The region's oldest civic water utility supplies treated Damodar river water to more than 10 lakh people across the Dhanbad and Katras circles of the Dhanbad Municipal Corporation through its Jamadoba-based system. Its 12-million-gallon-per-day (MGD) treatment plant at Jamadoba, commissioned in the early 1960s, serves more than two lakh residents across Jharia, Chasnala, Jamadoba, Bhowra, Lodna, Bhaga, Bastacola, Dhansar and other mining areas. Another 9-MGD plant, operational since the early 1990s, caters to over three lakh people in Putki, Kendua, Loyabad, Karkend and Bhuli. The current cleaning operation is expected to continue for three days, with supplies likely to normalise after the work is completed. Residents in affected localities may need to use stored water judiciously during the period....