MLA Rameshwar Sharma on Friday announced that villagers supplying water for public use during the peak demand months this summer will be officially recognised and honoured by the administration.
He said private tubewells may be acquired if they provide clean drinking water. He also promised to visit water-scarce villages in Bhopal between 1 and 4 May to assess needs on the ground.
The announcement came after a high-level meeting led by Collector Kaushalendra Vikram Singh and Zila Panchayat CEO Ila Tiwari. Sarpanches, engineers, SDMs and tehsildars attended the session to discuss urgent measures.
Officials are racing to identify all crisis-hit villages by 30 April. New borewell work will be carried out between 1 and 15 May, prioritising the worst-affected areas.
Sharma said emergency drilling will be allowed on SDM orders. He instructed that no new tubewells should be dug directly in front of homes and warned of legal action against those occupying public wells.
During the meeting, he criticised the dual posting of an engineer to Adampur Cantonment and Ratibad, calling it inefficient. He ordered reassignments based on locality.
Sharma condemned misconduct by officials after a sarpanch accused an engineer of making threats. He reminded officers to treat the public with respect.
Every panchayat has been asked to construct at least one pond for rainwater harvesting. Sharma also ordered fencing of mined areas and verification of all new settlements to prevent illegal slums during the crisis.