Police to ensure orderly water distribution in Bhopal

Fights over water: Police deployed in Bhopal

Bhopal: To ensure a hassle-free water distribution in Bhopal, the civic authorities here are taking the help of police personnel nowadays. Earlier, the residents used to quarrel during distribution, be it at the public tap or from the water tanker. Often these brawls for a bucket of water turned bloody. With police presence, such incidents have become fewer. Around 225 police personnel are at the disposal of the water supply wing of the Bhopal Municipal Corporation. They are expected to escort the water tankers doing the rounds in various colonies to supply water. "There are around 225 police personnel deployed all over the city, who escort the water tankers to ensure that no fight takes place and people do not waste water. We ensure that the locals form a queue and fetch water," said Raja Ram Vishwakarma, a police official in Bhopal. According to Hasib Ansari, in-charge Water Supply Wing of Bhopal Municipal Corporation, dispute over water distribution among civilians had become a tricky affair as such the officials sought assistance of the police. He also mentioned that the presence of the police had worked wonders, infusing civic sense among the people. "To solve the water crisis in Bhopal, we, as the civic authorities have taken the help of police force to distribute water peacefully and also to ensure that people do not face any kind of inconvenience," noted Hasib Ansari, in-charge Water Supply Wing, Bhopal Municipal Corporation. Residents, meanwhile, have appreciated the novel method of municiapal corporation officials, as they feel safe due to police besides there is no wastage of water. "Earlier, we had trouble getting water. People used to fight like cats and dogs to fill water. But now ever since they (police) have come, things have improved a lot," recalled Sahibabi, a resident of Bhopal. Cases of water-related violence have been reported from a couple of places in Madhya Pradesh due to acute water scarcity.
-May 20, 2009

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