Jail inmates turn eco-warriors, dig up pond to fight water crisis

Indore: Tales of inmates attempting to dig their way out of jail have been part of popular culture but in Indore, inmates are digging a pond to tackle groundwater depletion. In the district jail premises here, excavation of a large pond has begun and inmates have been enlisted as unlikely eco-warriors.According to District Jail superintendent JR Mandloi, the site chosen for the reservoir had previously deteriorated into a neglected dumping ground for waste. “In an effort to transform the area into a productive community asset before the arrival of the monsoon season, jail management, inmates, and local stakeholders collaborated to plan and develop the water body,” he told TOI.The project relies heavily on daily shramdaan (voluntary labor), with around 100 inmates and jail staff actively participating in the manual digging process.Mandloi said that he is personally participating in the daily physical labor alongside the inmates, with MLA Mahendra Hardia and several civil society representatives extending structural and administrative support to ensure the timeline is met. The project aims to maximize rainwater catchment, rejuvenate the local environment, and repurpose neglected state land.The community initiative comes at a critical time for the city.

Indore faced an acute water shortage earlier this year, requiring the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) to deploy more than 700 water tankers to maintain basic supply lines. Municipal reports indicated that over 50% of local borewells had completely dried up, highlighting an urgent need for decentralized groundwater replenishment.To combat this structural deficit, the civic body has accelerated several eco-engineering projects across the city.The projects include collaborations with technical institutes to convert over 300 defunct borewells into groundwater recharge systems, setting up 150 specialized recharge shafts, promoting decentralized roof rainwater harvesting systems, and desilting existing water bodies.