Indore Plans Drinking Water Points in All 85 Wards, Warns of Fines for Water Wastage

The Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has begun preparing for a possible water shortage next summer, citing lower rainfall this year. A meeting chaired by Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav at the corporation headquarters on Monday settled a set of measures aimed at cutting waste and improving distribution across the city.

Under the plan, the civic body will try to set up at least one public drinking water point, locally known as a pyau, in each of the city's 85 wards. Officials will also identify locations for new hydrants close to lakes, and areas that face repeated shortages will receive separate, area-specific action plans.

The corporation also intends to clear illegal encroachments from government borewells. Once those are cleared, engineers will study whether pipelines can be laid from the borewells to reach more households that currently get little supply.

A door-to-door awareness campaign will be run with the help of non-governmental organisations. Residents will be encouraged to fit taps on their water connections and will be urged not to use drinking water to wash vehicles or for other non-essential purposes.

The meeting also set out how violations will be handled. People found wasting water will first be counselled. If they keep breaking the guidelines after three to four rounds of counselling, fines will be imposed. Households that use motors to pull water directly from the supply line will get a warning first, and the motors will be seized if the practice continues.

The meeting was attended by water works in-charge Abhishek Sharma Bablu, additional commissioner Ashish Pathak and other senior officials. The corporation has not yet announced a start date for the drive or the amount of the fines.

Indore, which has drawn national attention for its civic management, depends heavily on supply from the Narmada river and on borewells, which is why officials are acting early rather than waiting for the dry season. Residents who want to report wastage or request a water point in their area can approach their ward office.