Petlawad (Madhya Pradesh): Residents of Petlawad are up in arms against the local civic body for failing to provide drinking water to them. The ambitious RO drinking water scheme initiated by Snehil Construction Company (Gujarat) has become a source of frustration. The project, which aimed to provide pure drinking water through new connections, involved an investment of approximately Rs 20 crore and was expected to enhance the water supply system.

However, after four years of extensive digging and pipeline installation, residents have been waiting for drinking water. Despite the completion of the project, water is not reaching the taps in half of the wards. Daily complaints have led to further digging in several areas, but efforts to identify and rectify the faults in the newly laid pipes have largely been unsuccessful.

Notably, wards Ward 2, 3, 4 and 10 have seen some improvements, but many other areas remain without adequate service. Sachin Agarwal from Ward 1 said, "The dreams of RO water have remained just dreams. The entire scheme has fallen prey to corruption." Another significant issue has arisen regarding the installation of water meters.

The company reportedly placed meters without the consent of house owners, leading to a situation where only 10% of the houses in the city currently have functioning meters. Many of these meters have either been stolen or damaged.

CMO Asha Bhandari stated that the implementation of the drinking water scheme was managed entirely from Bhopal, with the civic body having no direct involvement. The company is obligated to maintain the system for 10 years for Rs 6 crore.