Residents, Politicians Enjoy "WET HOLI" to the hilt in Water-starved Bhopal

In a city where people are murdered  over  issue of getting an extra bucket of water at public taps, this Holi saw politicians and people alike, wasting thousands of gallons of water in playing wet holi. The people of Bhopal, who often grumble over getting too less water in their taps were so carried away by the festivity that in several localities water tankers were hired by them to fulfill their “lust” for the festival little realizing that the precious water which they are making flow in gutters, could quench thirst of a majority of the city’s population for numbers of days during the summers.

The politicians also played their part, in what can be termed as a “criminal wastage” of water. In many localities, particularly in those where they prefer to visit, for political gains, water tankers of the Bhopal municipal corporation were ordered to provide unhindered water supply for purpose of playing holi. Even those politicians, who often appear on the glossy pages of daily newspapers and TV channels appealing people to conserve water took part in the wet holi shamelessly.

As far as the condition of potable water in Bhopal is concerned, it is grim. The city has not experienced even a normal rainfall for the last three years resulting in very low level contents of water in all of its reservoirs. The condition of the main sources of water supply to the old city, the Upper Lake( where recently we had a Raja Bhoj statue erected) is even worse. With the Narmada Water project delayed by more than two years now, the people of Bhopal are going to face their worst nightmare in terms of potable water.

However, it was great relief to see most of the people and several politicians too enjoying a “Tilak Holi”( splashing of gulal on forehead). But the question is when will people of Bhopal realise that now they cannot afford to waste water. Gone are the days when the city was so rich in water that most of the localities here used to get a 24-hour supply from taps. With the errant rainfall in city and the ground water fast depleting, the Bhopalis need to do some soul-searching.