Municipal body selects 10 major locations for scientific rainwater harvesting under a new centrally backed pilot project.

Facing a steady decline in its underground water table and the looming threat of seasonal water scarcity, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has initiated a targeted groundwater recharge project across the city. The initiative is being executed with technical and financial backing from IIT Roorkee and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).

Central Body Selects Indore

The project is part of a broader national assessment by the NIUA, which identified 75 cities across India experiencing severe groundwater depletion. In Madhya Pradesh, only Indore, Dewas, and Ujjain made the final list. Local authorities confirmed that the primary goal here is to establish functional rainwater harvesting systems while mitigating urban waterlogging during the monsoon.

According to municipal officials, the engineering blueprint focuses on recharging shallow aquifers using scientific filtration methods. The civic body has already earmarked ₹50 lakh for the initial phase of development, which will be carried out under the direct monitoring of Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav and Municipal Commissioner Kshitij Singhal.

Detailed Survey Fixes Sites

Before finalizing the project sites, a technical team from IIT Roorkee conducted an extensive lithological data analysis, mapping Indore’s historical rainfall patterns, soil permeability, and localized flooding history.

Sources familiar with the matter said the experts inspected 20 vulnerable spots between January and April this year. Based on feasibility and technical viability, the civic body narrowed the list down to 10 priority locations for the first phase of implementation.

Priority Locations for Recharge

The Detailed Project Report (DPR) lists a mix of public parks, dry government installations, and low-lying residential sectors for the intervention. The chosen sites include:

• Nehru Stadium and Regional Park

• Labour Commissioner Office Campus

• The dry borewell at Gandhi Hall

• Waghmare ka Bagicha and Revati Hills

• Nipania zone and Vallabh Nagar Baoli

• Siddheshwar Temple Campus and the ground opposite the MPPSC office.

Dual Filtering System Planned

Ground-level cues indicate that the drainage department has already initiated the tender process for these locations. The civil work will involve setting up dedicated diversion channels, collection tanks, and automated filter chambers.

To prevent chemical contaminants or silt from entering the shallow aquifers, the recharge shafts will use an multi-layered filter media. This includes sand, gravel aggregates, and activated charcoal to purify surface runoff before it is injected back into the ground. IMC engineers hope this will resolve severe waterlogging issues in dense spots like Nipania and Vallabh Nagar.

Nehru Stadium Model Site

The Nehru Stadium has been designated as the flagship model site for the entire project. Engineers have calculated that runoff from a catchment area of roughly 5,315 square meters inside the stadium complex will be intercepted.

Catchment Area: 5,315 sq meters

Estimated Daily Recharge: 51 cubic meters of rainwater

Once operational, the stadium infrastructure alone is expected to pump back approximately 51 cubic meters of filtered water into the earth daily during peak monsoon days, acting as a real-time proof of concept for local groundwater recharge.

Long-term Urban Water Security

Urban planners view this low-cost, high-impact model as a critical step toward sustainable water management. Apart from stabilizing the falling water table, the system is designed to reduce the city’s heavy summer reliance on water tankers and distant piped supplies like the Narmada project.

The IMC drainage wing expects construction to begin immediately after the tendering formalities conclude over the next few weeks, aiming to catch the late spells of the upcoming wet season.

Villagers complain of late-night boring operations despite collector’s groundwater conservation order.

Days after the district administration declared Rewa a water-scarce area and imposed a ban on new borewell drilling, residents of Laua Panchayat under Sagra police station have alleged that boring machines were operated late at night in clear violation of the prohibitory orders.

Villagers claim that a boring machine arrived in the area after nightfall and began excavation work without any official authorisation. The loud noise of the machinery drew nearby residents to the spot, where they found the drilling in progress despite the ban imposed by Collector Pratibha Pal.

On March 18, the Rewa collector declared the entire district a water-scarce area and imposed restrictions on private borewell drilling, with the order remaining in effect until July 15. The administration had cited fast-depleting groundwater levels across the district as the primary reason for the decision. The order made it clear that no new borewell excavation would be permitted during this period.

However, residents said the late-night operation suggested a blatant disregard for the administration’s directive.

According to local residents, a complaint was immediately lodged with Sagra police station after spotting the illegal drilling activity. But despite being informed about the violation, police personnel did not reach the spot, villagers alleged. The boring work continued unabated through the night.

“We informed the police as soon as we saw the machine operating. No one came. The work went on without any interruption,” a resident said, requesting anonymity.

The incident has sparked anger among local residents, who have questioned the effectiveness of the collector’s order. Villagers pointed out that ordinary citizens face swift action for any violation, but in this case, the authorities appeared indifferent.

“If the ban is meant to be followed by everyone, why is there no action against those who violated it in the dead of night?” another villager asked.

Residents have demanded an immediate inquiry into the matter and clarification on whose authorisation allowed the boring work to proceed. They have also insisted that if no permission was granted, strict action should be taken against those responsible.

This is not an isolated incident. Social activist Chatur Prasad Gautam had earlier alleged that illegal borewell mining was continuing unabated in the Sagra police station area, despite the collector’s prohibitory orders. The latest incident appears to corroborate these claims.

No official statement has been issued by the police or district administration regarding the matter so far.

With groundwater levels already under severe stress, officials had said the ban was necessary to prevent further depletion of the water table. The administration has not yet responded to the allegations of police inaction raised by the villagers.

Local residents have demanded a fair investigation into the incident and appropriate action against those found guilty of violating the prohibitory order.

Experts Split Over Water Footprint of India's Ethanol Push

Debate intensifies as study claims massive water use for biofuel production amid deepening scarcity concerns

A fresh study highlighting the heavy water requirement for ethanol production has triggered a sharp debate on whether India's ambitious ethanol blending programme is sustainable in a country already grappling with severe water stress. While the government celebrates achieving the E20 blending target ahead of schedule, questions are mounting over the long-term impact on groundwater and drinking water supplies.

The controversy erupted after reports, drawing on government-linked data, suggested that producing one litre of ethanol from rice could consume around 10,790 litres of water when accounting for the full cultivation cycle. This figure has raised alarms among environmental experts and water conservationists, especially as many ethanol plants are located in already water-stressed regions.

Water Use Claims Under Scanner

Industry bodies have pushed back strongly against the narrative. The Grain Ethanol Manufacturers Association (GEMA) described the 10,000-litre figure as a misinterpretation that includes rainfall and crop evapotranspiration rather than direct industrial consumption. 

"Calling ethanol a water guzzler is simply incorrect," said C.K. Jain, President of GEMA. "Modern ethanol plants in India consume only about 3-5 litres of process water per litre of ethanol." He emphasised that plants are becoming more efficient with recycling and zero-liquid discharge systems.

However, critics argue that even if factory usage is low, the broader water footprint of feedstock crops cannot be ignored. According to data shared by Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra earlier, rice-based ethanol stands at roughly 10,790 litres per litre, compared to about 3,630 litres for sugarcane and 4,670 litres for maize.

India's Water Crisis: A Stark Reality

India's per capita water availability has already fallen to 1,486 cubic metres in 2021, placing it in the water-stressed category. Projections indicate it could drop to around 1,140 cubic metres by 2050. NITI Aayog has warned that 21 major cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Chennai, risk groundwater depletion.

Agriculture consumes nearly 80% of the country's freshwater, with rice and sugarcane being particularly thirsty crops. In this context, diverting surplus rice or expanding grain-based production for fuel has sparked concerns about competing demands between food, fuel, and drinking water.

Ethanol Programme: Milestones and Momentum

Despite the debate, the ethanol blending programme remains a flagship initiative. India achieved the 20% ethanol blending (E20) target in mid-2025, well ahead of the original 2030 deadline. Total production capacity has crossed 1,900 crore litres, with plants concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, and Bihar.

The programme uses a mix of sugarcane molasses, juice, broken rice from FCI stocks, and increasingly maize. Officials highlight multiple benefits: reduced oil import bills, lower carbon emissions, and higher farmer incomes. Uttar Pradesh leads production with around 250 crore litres annually.

Shift Towards Maize

In response to sustainability concerns, the government is promoting maize as a less water-intensive alternative. Maize is often rain-fed in many regions and requires comparatively lower irrigation than rice. Industry sources indicate a gradual diversification away from excessive reliance on rice.

Ground Concerns and Expert Views

Farmers and local officials in states like Punjab and Haryana, where groundwater levels have plummeted due to paddy cultivation, express mixed feelings. While ethanol demand provides a market for surplus or damaged grains, long-term water sustainability worries persist.

Water experts point out that virtual water embedded in crops matters in a country facing erratic monsoons and climate change impacts. Some suggest stricter water audits for new distilleries and incentives for drought-resistant feedstocks.

Others counter that ethanol production utilises existing agricultural surpluses and that stopping the programme would not magically restore groundwater—better irrigation practices, crop diversification, and wastewater recycling are needed regardless.

Balancing Energy Security and Water Security

As India eyes higher blends in the coming years, the challenge lies in aligning energy goals with water conservation. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, along with NITI Aayog, is understood to be monitoring feedstock patterns closely.

Officials maintain that the programme is designed to use surplus grains without compromising food security, while technological upgrades in distilleries minimise industrial water use.

The coming months are likely to see more detailed policy guidelines on sustainable feedstock selection and mandatory water efficiency norms for ethanol units. For now, the debate underscores a larger truth: in a water-stressed nation, every step towards green energy must be weighed against its hidden costs.