Indore is one of richest Asian cities in terms of costly water usage: Mayor Bhargava

Indore: Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava on Thursday quipped that Indore, the country's cleanest urban centre, is one of the richest cities in Asia in terms of costly water usage.

"Since I became Mayor, I have been jokingly saying that Indore was one of the richest cities in Asia given that a kilolitre of water here costs Rs 21 and it is wasted as well," Bhargava said at a seminar.

"We are not guzzling down water but ghee," he remarked.

Water is made available to residents of Indore, which has a population of nearly 35 lakhs, through pipes after sourcing it from far off Narmada river in Khargone district, about 80 km for the city, officials said.

The cost of making available potable water to Indore households by the civic body was around Rs 300 crore per year as electricity-driven pumps are engaged in the process, they said.