Ujjain: Malwa in MP is the most thirsty region in the country. Hundreds of factories are shutting down because there is simply no water to keep industry running.
But in a situation where people are getting only 15 minutes of water every 21 days it seems to be the only way out.
This Grasim textile unit in Ujjain after running continuously for 50 years stopped all operations last week.
"The factory has shut down due to water scarcity," said Raju Nayan, vice president, Grasim Industrial Units, Ujjain.
Its workforce of 5,000, one of the largest in Ujjain have been put on dole. Similar water-intensive units, big employment generators in the region, are closing down every day.
Paper mills, tanneries and food processing factories, and their numbers are run into hundreds.
"People are dying for water. How can we give water to factories? said Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chief Minister, MP.
This is Malwa, right now the most thirsty region of India.
In past years rainfall had been scanty forcing people to turn to underground water. Overuse of which has led to a very sharp depletion: Almost a 100 feet every year.
Right now ground water can be reached only at a shocking depth of 610 feet almost unreachable.
Take a household in Ujjain, it has received just 15 minutes of water supply in the past 21 days making them desperately dependent on water tankers which are not able to cope with the demand.
In Malwa everyone is waiting for the rains.