The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has announced plans to draft a comprehensive water policy and launch a water conservation ward ranking competition under the Jal Ganga Samvardhan Abhiyan to address the declining groundwater level in the city. This initiative follows an acute water shortage that has forced the closure of at least 50% of the city's borewells due to exhausting groundwater levels.
Mayor Announces Plans at Jal Samvad
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava revealed these plans during a public water dialogue (Jal Samvad), which brought together residents, corporators, and water conservation experts. He stated that the policy draft will be presented to the mayor-in-council (MIC) for approval ahead of the upcoming monsoon, with a strong emphasis on decentralised groundwater recharging techniques.
Enforcement and Compliance Measures
To enforce compliance, the IMC has issued notices to approximately 23,000 buildings that currently lack rainwater harvesting installations. Property owners have been given a strict deadline of June 30 to set up these systems or face penal action.
Awareness Campaign and Infrastructure Work
As part of the initiative, the mayor has committed to visiting a different colony every day over the next 30 days to build public awareness and directly oversee the construction of 30 recharge shafts. Additionally, the IMC is undertaking the restoration of traditional stepwells and existing wells, and converting defunct borewells into active recharge units. Preliminary work has also commenced on the fourth phase of the Narmada pipeline project to secure long-term external water supplies for the city.
Water Conservation Ward Ranking Competition
To incentivise community participation, the corporation commissioner, Kshitij Singhal, announced the launch of the Water Conservation Ward Ranking Competition. Wards will be evaluated based on criteria such as new rainwater harvesting setups, recharge shaft installations on dried borewells, maintenance of older units, plantation drives, and public awareness activities.
