Bhopal, June 4: The territory in Madhya Pradesh which is said to be the major source of water for the region, is inching towards the dead storage level. Owing to less than normal rain and scorching heat, water levels at Bhojtal have rapidly dipped, raising concerns of water shortage in the areas of the city which depend on it for water supply.
With this, Bhopal Mayor Anand Sharma has convened an all-party meet confirming the reason of water crisis as lack of rains in the area. He has also appealed to citizens to use water sustainably and help in conserving it.
"In the last few years, the blessings of rain gods haven't been much in the area. Hence Bhopal's 'bada talab', which is the city's lifeline, can only get filled to 50 per cent of its capacity. Now even with that depleting, a water crisis has emerged," he said.
Sharma said he has raised a demand of Rs 100 crore from the state government to deal with the crisis. "I have met state minister Dr Govind Singh today and demanded a Rs 100 crore package to tackle the situation. He said he'll talk to the Chief Minister," he said.
"This is right that there is water crisis as Bhopal has grown immensely and different sources are used for water supply. I appeal to people to use water sustainably. The municipal corporation is monitoring the situation and we will ensure supply of water through tankers in affected areas", said Sharma.
Formerly known as Upper Lake, Bhojtal is a large lake which lies on the western side of the capital city. It is a major source of drinking water for the residents of the city, serving around 40% of the residents with nearly 30 million imperial gallons of water per day.