Indore to wait till 2029 for 24×7 water:15% areas depend on tankers; most towns get supply on alternate days

Indore Municipal Corporation recently laid the foundation stone for the 4th phase of the Narmada project, claiming the city will receive 24-hour water supply by 2029. However, experts say the bigger challenge lies not in availability but in distribution and management. Without infrastructure upgrades and expansion of water sources, the goal of “daily supply to every household” will remain difficult. At present, nearly 15% of Indore’s areas depend on water tankers for supply. Across Indore division’s eight districts, there are 55 urban bodies. Of these, 17 claim to provide daily water supply, while 35 receive water on alternate days and three get supply once every two days. The distribution pattern varies widely across districts including Indore, Dhar, Barwani, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Khargone, Khandwa and Burhanpur. Sampling stepped up after Bhagiratpura incident Following the Bhagiratpura incident, water sampling has been intensified across districts. Official data shows extensive testing of tube wells and piped water supply, along with ongoing reviews of leakage and quality concerns. Uneven supply despite Narmada dependency While most towns in the Nimar region depend on the Narmada river, several urban bodies still rely on local water sources. Ground reports, however, contradict official claims. In Dhar, authorities claim alternate-day supply, but residents say water arrives only once in two days, and that too for less than an hour. Maheshwar receives daily supply, but it is distributed ward-wise. Mandleshwar gets water every other day, while in Dhamnod, residents claim supply comes once in two days despite official claims of alternate-day distribution. In Niwali (Barwani), apart from municipal connections, a private supplier reportedly provides water for ₹200 per month. Tanker queues highlight ground reality At places like Barfani Dham, long queues of tankers line up from early morning, reflecting the scale of dependence on external supply. Where daily water supply is claimed Authorities claim daily supply in towns such as Manpur, Sanwer, Omkareshwar, Burhanpur, Shahpur, Nepanagar, Khargone, Maheshwar, Sanawad, Mandleshwar, Barwaha, Badnawar, Meghnagar, Pansemal, Thikri and Sendhwa. Alternate-day supply in most towns A large number of urban bodies — including Indore, Hatod, Mhowgaon, Betma, Rau, Depalpur, Gautampura, Khandwa, Chhanera (Harsud), Kasrawad, Bhikangaon, Karhi-Padlya, Bistan, Dhar, Pithampur, Rajgarh, Dhamnod, Sardarpur, Dahi, Manawar, Mandu, Kukshi, Dharampuri, Petlawad, Thandla, Jhabua, Ranapur, Alirajpur, Jobat, Barwani, Rajpur, Palsud, Anjad, Khetia and Niwali — receive water on alternate days. Supply once every two days in some areas In Mundi, Pandhana and Chandrashekhar Azad Nagar (Bhabra), water is supplied once