INDORE: The ongoing water crisis this summer has severely impacted various upscale residential areas and high-rise apartment complexes in Indore, leaving them struggling to secure daily water supplies.
The drying of borewells coupled with insufficient Narmada water supply has forced residents in upscale neighborhoods to rely heavily on expensive private water tankers for nearly a month, significantly increasing maintenance costs and disrupting daily routines.
Areas including Saket, Race Course Road, Kanchan Bagh, Manoramaganj, Nipania, Mahalaxmi Nagar, Vijay Nagar extension, parts of Super Corridor, and several high-rise residential clusters have been particularly affected.
Most societies are now ordering multiple tankers daily just to meet basic household needs. “We are paying for at least three to four tankers every day. Yet, the water supply in our flats is limited to specific hours,” said Ruchi Jain, a resident of a township near Mahalaxmi Nagar comprising over 30 flats and row houses. “Our maintenance fees have increased as tanker expenses have doubled in recent weeks.”
The cost for private tankers has sharply escalated due to heightened summer demands, now ranging from Rs 700 to Rs 2,000 per tanker depending on location, distance, and availability.
Some apartment associations have reportedly raised monthly maintenance fees by Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,500-3,000 per flat to cover the increased expenses. Residents find this added financial burden particularly challenging, especially for middle-income families living in larger housing societies. “During summer, an additional Rs 2,000 is charged from each flat owner beyond the maintenance fee for water tanker expenses, as prices peak during high demand,” explained Debashish Roy, secretary of a housing society in Saket Nagar.
Many residents are lamenting that the existing Narmada supply is insufficient to meet the rising demands, leading to low-pressure or irregular water supplies that fail to satisfy daily household needs in various residential pockets.
In addition to financial strain, practical difficulties are surfacing in daily life. Many households have halted the regular use of washing machines and postponed cleaning tasks to conserve water. The arrivals of tankers late at night or early morning have become commonplace in numerous colonies.
“Office-goers are particularly inconvenienced as water supply timings are unpredictable. Sometimes there’s no water on the upper floors until afternoon because tankers arrive late,” noted Mohit Verma, a resident of a high-rise on Super Corridor. “Even after paying high maintenance, a basic water supply is not guaranteed.”
Residents report that many borewells in residential areas have either run dry or seen significant drops in water levels this summer. Societies that previously depended partly on groundwater are now almost entirely reliant on tanker services.
With high temperatures persisting and summer still not at its peak, residents are anxious that the situation could worsen in the weeks ahead unless regular water supplies improve significantly.
