Murders are taking place over water in Madhya Pradesh, including the capital Bhopal, once known as the 'city of lakes' Even as blood is being spilled over water here, parched Madhya Pradesh seeks divine help for rainfall with people trying every trick in their book to please the rain gods. The state is in the grip of acute water shortage, with some areas getting supply only once a week. Desperation has led to murders and in some cases water has been paid for by blood. There have been violent protests among people in areas where water supply has trickled down to once in three days or even a week. This has led to at least half a dozen murders in the last one month in some places, including state capital Bhopal which was once known as the 'city of lakes'. Officials estimate that nearly 70 per cent of the state's 65 million people are enveloped by the crisis. Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar, Ratlam, Shajapur, Datia, Neemuch, Sidhi and Khargone are some of the worst-hit districts. Clashes over water in most of these districts have become common. Bhopal witnessed a triple murder in a dispute over water May 13. Jeevan Malviya, 42, his wife and son were killed in a violent squabble that broke out when they tried to draw water from a leaky municipal water supply line. Three days later, another murder took place in Bhopal in the Kanha Saiya area following a dispute between two groups over fetching water, forcing the administration to ensure the distribution of water in the presence of police. Dewas district administration has gone one step further. It has barred people from gathering along the 122-km Nemawar water supply line after several cases of water pilferage were reported. Policemen now guard the length of the pipeline. At some places, desperate people are even ready to trade blood for some potable water. The people of Dhar district have come up with a novel way to combat the crisis. Members of a local Ganesh Utsav committee are donating blood to buy tankers of water which they distribute among the needy. In the Nasrullaganj area of Sehore district in May, two groups clashed over the use of a hand pump. One man was killed and six people were seriously injured. These are not isolated incidents. Earlier this month, one person each was killed in Ujjain and Indore. There have also been clashes at several other places in the state capital. Last week eight people were severely injured in a water dispute. Last month police used batons and tear gas to control a mob in Indore that was protesting against erratic water supply. The entire Malwa region - in which Indore and eight other districts fall - and almost the whole of western Madhya Pradesh are reeling under acute water shortage. Thirty-four out of 50 districts in Madhya Pradesh are facing a water crisis due to scanty rainfall. Experts put the blame on the reversal of monsoon trends last year and on the mismanagement of water supply. Old, rusty water pipes contribute to the shortage. "Around 30 per cent of water gets lost due to leakage," said a civil engineer in the water works department. "The water table has also receded, leaving most tube wells dry. Water supply has been hit even in low-lying areas," he added. The government has installed 364,000 hand pumps across the state to draw water but as many as 45,000 are no longer operational because of receding groundwater levels. As such, rattled by delay in monsoon rains, people reeling under unprecedented water crisis in various parts of the state are now trying every trick in their books - from frog marriage to non-stop prayers on floating boat - to please the rain gods with the state government taking the lead - performing Som Yagnas - for the past many months with the last one being performed in third week of lune in the holy city Ujjain with the state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan himself performing rituals. The Chief Minister has also roped in Maharashtra-based Veda Vigyan Ashram, local NGOs and the state-run Madhya Pradesh Council of Science and Technology for the purpose. Shivpuri-based NGO Gangachal Shiksha Samiti had organised yagnas at Panna, Tikamgarh and Chattarpur districts. "Som Yagnas' have been performed since time immemorial to bring rains. We have already collected data of four such yagnas and it is being analysed," says Somaji Nana Kale who runs the Veda Vigyan Ashram at Sholapur in Maharashtra adding that the project team from the council had included many meteorologists and physicists. "This is an ancient ritual of ours and it will bless us with good monsoons. Science is not against Vedas, so we have organised this holi yagna for rain gods. We are praying in accordance to Vedic rituals in hope of good monsoons ahead", he told mediapersons in Ujjain. But this is no low-profile yagna. The state government has earmarked lakhs of rupees for these rituals. In 2007 alone, Rs 64 lakh were spent to perform the ritual. Now taking a cue from the state government, people are turning to God and observing religious rituals across the state. In a unique ritual, priests in Bhopal did Abhishek' of God Shanker (Abhishek means Coronation or consecration by sprinkling water and then with a mixture of milk, curd, sugar, ghee and honey) on June 22 and prayed for good rains. Earlier beginning this month, some priests had offered prayers non-stop for 26 hours on a floating boat to please the rain gods. According to a legend, Surdas the famous blind poet who lived during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar once recited Ramayana (Hindu epic) on a boat afloat in Chitrakoota region for rains following which there was a heavy downpour. Following the example of Surdas, a priest in the city mooted the idea of praying to God on a floating boat and despite shortage of water, the priests and select devotees took a boat to the centre of the almost dried up Upper lake (the only source of potable water in Bhopal) to perform the rituals seeking divine intervention. In other parts of the state like in Chhindwara and Dewas, people have resorted to marriages of frogs as it is believed that it helps bringing heavy downpour. ?