Locals in MP's Jhabua keep water-filled drums locked to prevent theft

Jhabua (Madhya Pradesh) [India], May 28 : Residents of Jhonsar village in Madhya Pradesh's Jhabua district store water in drums and then lock them in a bid to prevent the water from being stolen.
"The entire Panchayat is facing an acute water crisis. Therefore, sometimes the water gets stolen. So, we keep it locked. We fetch water from three kilometres away," said a local.
Another person added, "There is no water available in our village. So, we have to walk a few kilometres to get it."
NS Bhide, executive engineer, Public Health Engineering Department, Jhabua, said that power pump and hand pumps are installed in the village.
"The water level goes down there during the summer, so they face problems. If the hand pumps are not working, we will get them repaired," Bhide stated.