Indore: Rising temperatures have triggered a severe water shortage across multiple residential sectors in Indore, prompting public protests and political agitation. On Monday, residents of Gauri Nagar and adjacent areas blocked the colony's main square. Led by Congress corporator Raju Bhadoriya and Youth Congress president Amit Patel, protesters raised slogans against the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and the mayor.
Impact on Daily Life
The water issues are taking a toll on residents, who often have to take leave from their offices. Resident Aaradhana Dubey said, “We are facing acute water shortage. My husband and I work to earn a livelihood. But I have to take leave just to stand in a queue for the entire day to get water from tankers. We lose out on our salaries.” Another resident, Achal Choudhary, added, “In this summer, we are not getting water even for taking a bath. There is no water and tankers are not available. We have started purchasing water to meet our basic requirements.”
Political Response and Protests
Amid the protest, Indore Congress chief Chintu Chaukse announced targeting all 22 zonal offices of the corporation, where residents broke earthen pots to symbolise the depletion of local water supply. Earlier on Sunday, residents of Tapeshwari Bagh protested during an official review meeting involving the mayor-in-council (MIC) and civic engineers. Following the meeting, upset residents confronted water tanker operators and vandalised a municipal hydrant. The Khajrana police intervened to restore law and order, and Zone 8 assistant engineer Sharad Sohni subsequently filed a police complaint regarding the property damage.
Emergency Measures by Civic Body
In response to the expanding shortage, the civic body issued an emergency order on Monday. The directive mandates that all government and private tubewells equipped with hydrants across Zones 1 to 22 must prioritise filling municipal and contracted water tankers. Sub-engineers and ground staff have been deployed to monitor these hydrants full-time. The measures aim to ensure free, uninterrupted water distribution to deficient neighbourhoods and streamline tanker dispatch systems to mitigate logistical delays.
