Ludhiana, Aug. 10 -- Despite a staggering investment of approximately Rs.48 crore over the years, Ludhiana is grappling with a severe water crisis, with as many as 66 overhead water reservoirs lying non-functional across the city. These structures, originally built to ensure a steady supply of drinking water, have remained unused for several years, becoming monuments to civic neglect and mismanagement. The scale of the problem was recently highlighted in a survey conducted by a team from the World Bank as part of the preparations for the city's ambitious 24x7 water supply project. The survey identified the 66 defunct reservoirs and proposed the construction of 136 new ones.

The reasons behind this widespread failure are a mix of systemic...