Water crisis deepens in Indore:Borings dry up, protests and road blockades erupt amid scorching heat

Indore is reeling under a severe water crisis, with thousands of families struggling for every drop despite the city being ranked India’s cleanest city for eight consecutive years. In several areas, women are travelling long distances carrying empty containers to fetch water, while many residents are forced to wait for hours for water tankers. In many localities, water supply is being provided only once every two days, severely disrupting daily life. The situation has become so critical that protests have erupted in several parts of the city. Residents have blocked roads, smashed earthen pots in anger, and openly expressed resentment against public representatives. Water scarcity has now emerged as the city’s biggest civic crisis. Crisis worsens across colonies The shortage is intensifying in both eastern and western parts of Indore, with many colonies now entirely dependent on water tankers. Tensions are rising as residents often get into arguments and scuffles while trying to collect water from arriving tankers. Outside many homes, people are keeping tanks, drums, and buckets ready in advance so they can store water the moment the tanker arrives. People taking to the streets for water The water crisis has now also become a political issue. In many areas, people have staged protests by blocking roads. Congress protested at all 22 zone offices in the city and broke empty pots. People protested loudly at the water tank in Tapeshwari Bagh. The angry people even broke the hydrant, and the municipal corporation employees filed a complaint at the police station. In Vikas Nagar, women and men sat on the road and blocked the road along with the councilor, demanding water. In Veena Nagar, a sit-in protest was held when the water tank was not filled completely. In several areas, people even warned of gheraoing the houses of public representatives. Free supply from corporation tankers The municipal corporation says that the crisis has increased due to falling groundwater levels and more than half of the borings drying up. To deal with this, free water is being distributed through 616 hired and 79 municipal corporation tankers, along with supply from Narmada project tanks. The municipal corporation has appealed to people that if any driver, cleaner, or other person demands money in exchange for water, then complain about it on 9244998811, control room number 8889855520, or 311 app. Corporation Commissioner himself caught a tanker selling water On Thursday, the Municipal Corporation Commissioner inspected a water tanker in the Rani Sati Gate area and found that it did not have the corporation’s official sticker. The Commissioner followed the tanker to Parshwanath Jain Colony, where residents revealed that money was being charged for water supply. Following the inquiry, the tanker was seized, and a fine of ₹25,000 was imposed on the agency operating it. In a separate action in the Lasudia Mori area, two more tankers without official stickers were caught, and officials were instructed to impose a penalty of ₹10,000 on them. Earlier, an MIC member had also intercepted a tanker during inspection.