Lack of sufficient rain this year is bound to create a water crisis in Bhopal . The Government is bringing a legislation to form a Water Regulatory Commission. The Municipal Corporation has been leying Narmada cess from the inhabitants. For many decades one has been hearing that Narmada water will be brought over to Bhopal. At present Bhopal depends on 1) Kolar dam and 2) Upper Lake for supply of drinking water. Kerwa and Kaliasot reservoirs are purely meant for irrigation purposes. Kaliasot dam gets the overflow water from the upper lake. What to speak of overflow this year the water level of upper lake is below normal. Sehore district fills the reservoirs that supply water to Bhopal. But, this year there has not been sufficient rainfall in Sehore district either. In a nutshell, Bhopal is going to face acute shortage of drinking water. Rationing of water is being considered to face this shortage as, apparently, there is no alternative. Kolar reservoir, with whatever water level it has, could meet the drinking water requirements in Bhopal. But, Diwali onwards Kolar supplies water for irrigation in three instalments. Cultivators of irrigated lands benefit immensely from these three spells of irrigation. The beneficiaries are not only wealthy but influential, too. Water cannot be purchased or procured to supply drinking water to the inhabitants of Bhopal. Rationing of water or regulating supply and use of water can never meet the unimaginable hardship that Bhopal is going to face till next rains. In fact, the problem will be worse confounded when irrigation commences after Deepawali. The water level of Kolar reservoir shall register a sharp fall in its capacity with each spell of irrigation resulting in commensurate misery for the people of Bhopal this year. Drinking water is an essential requirement for each and every person, rich or poor. However, the people of Bhopal have not, so far, woken up to voice their predicament, going to arise from the impending acute crisis of drinking water. Once the water rationing and curtailing of daily supply begins, then the resentment shall take an ugly turn. Curtailment of supply of water for purposes of irrigation will result in less yield of crop. Hardship thus caused will be of much less magnitude in terms of population affected. A viable step, therefore, emerges in the shape of non-supply of water from Kolar reservoir this year for purposes of irrigation. Water thus saved, as per reasonable estimates, would suffice drinking water supply to Bhopal till August 2009. The cultivators, receiving irrigation from Kolar reservoir can be given adequate compensation for the losses that accrue due to less yield of crops this year. In effect we are buying water- our own water of Kolar reservoir to save the people of Bhopal from foreseeable misery caused by acute shortage of drinking water. In terms of money spent on proposed compensation to the cultivators the water, thus, diverted for the supply of drinking water it would any day be viable. This is sure to mitigate hardship that a much greater number of people would face. When we take care of losses suffered by cultivators, their hardship, will no longer be there. The Government of Madhya Pradesh has taken up a number of welfare measures, spending huge amounts of money. Let supply of drinking water to the thirsty inhabitants of Bhopal be at the top of priorities. Funds to meet monetary compensation to the cultivators for their losses through non-availability of water from irrigation will not be a problem precisely because it is too localized and minimal. Benefit shall accrue to predictably thirsty people of Bhopal. Such a course of action could be a one-time measure. Eventually, we have to work hard on bringing water from Narmada. Efforts to enforce conservation and regulation of use of water including ground water are called for. The time for water harvesting has, alas! slipped away this year in spite of Central legislation on the subject. We, the users of water have to rise to the occasion on war footing to stop misuse of water. SN Patra -Writer is retired DGP