Crisis drags on: Bhopal faces extended water outage now

Bhopal: Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) struggled to contain a worsening water crisis on Tuesday, with nearly 1,000 complaints pending as repair work on the Kolar gravity main pipeline stretched beyond schedule.

The shutdown, announced Monday, was to last from 10 am Tuesday until 10 am Wednesday, cutting supply for nearly 36 hours across major areas including Shahjehanabad, Nishatpura, Hamidia Road, Moti Masjid, Shahpura, Trilanga, Arera Colony, Tulsi Nagar, Shivaji Nagar, Char Imli, Chuna Bhatti, Kotra Sultanabad, MP Nagar and Gulmohar Colony.

BMC city engineer Udit Garg said repairs began at 10 am Tuesday and were expected to continue until midnight, but officials later indicated the outage could extend further, leaving much of the state capital without water for longer than anticipated. However, even once the Kolar pipeline resumes supply, officials estimate it will take about 12 hours for water to be filtered and reach overhead tanks in affected colonies.

Residents turned to private tanker operators, who cited rising fuel prices for steep hikes. A tanker that earlier cost about ₹700 now averages ₹1,000 — an increase of roughly about one‑third higher.

Charges rise further if water must be pumped into overhead tanks, with rates ranging between ₹700 and ₹2,000 depending on colony and demand. Operators said the rise in diesel costs had forced them to add pumping surcharges, making water procurement more expensive for households already under strain.

BMC officials said staff collected 121 water samples for testing and repaired leaks at 42 locations across the city on Tuesday.

The prolonged outage follows storm-related interruptions earlier this week, compounding difficulties for households across the state capital. With BMC supply uncertain and tanker costs rising, residents in key neighborhoods are bracing for extended disruption in daily life, rationing water and adjusting routines as the crisis drags on.