Water crisis sparks protests in several wards across city

Indore: The ongoing water crisis in Indore has forced residents to stage sit-in demonstrations across several municipal wards to highlight their plight.

On Saturday morning, BJP corporator Lalbahadur Verma led hundreds of residents from Ward 26 in a march to Nanda Nagar residence of BJP MLA Ramesh Mendola and staged a dharna demanding immediate relief.

The water shortage has severely disrupted daily routine of locals across eastern and western areas of the city.

In Vikas Nagar, residents blocked main roads along with their local representatives, while citizens in Veena Nagar held a sit-in protest over partially filled overhead tanks.

In Ward 20 (Gauri Nagar), where local tube wells have completely dried up, residents reported total dependency on municipal tankers. Supply strains were reported in Ward 75 (Palda), where Congress corporator Kunal Solanki was seen managing tanker distribution amid long queues of residents.

The crisis has also led to property damage and law-and-order challenges at some places. A demonstration at Tapeshwari Bagh water reservoir led to the protesters damaging an official hydrant, leading to municipal corporation filing a formal police complaint.

Local authorities reported that severe groundwater depletion has forced entire neighbourhoods to rely on private and municipal tankers, frequently resulting in localized disputes over water distribution.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee chief Jitu Patwari shared footage of the march in Ward 26 on social media, criticizing the state leadership for administrative failure and alleging systemic corruption within the municipal pipeline networks.