Women carry buckets and containers to collect drinking water from a water tap at a village on the outskirts of... Read More

BHOPAL/INDORE: With water wars intensifying in unprecedented June heat, the home department has ordered police to escort all water tankers and guard water sources.

While BJP says it’s yet another sign of mismanagement by the Congress government, minister for urban administration Jaivardhan Singh said the decision was taken to maintain law and order after clashes were reported during water distribution in some areas.

Home minister Bala Bachchan said police escorts are only for “sensitive places”, where a flare up is possible. “This does not happen everywhere. I have asked officials to be alert to such incidents,” he said. Indore SSP Ruchi Mishra said this is already being done. “Whenever we are alerted by the administration and IMC officials about areas where there is a possibility of a flare up, we deploy police,” she said.

Eight people were injured in Panna on Thursday over a water battle. In Indore itself, fights broke out twice over water over the past week. Such fights have been reported from across the state, and frequently so, spurring the government to order police protection.

