Intense heat wave swept across Madhya Pradesh with the state facing an impending potable water and power supply crises.

The effort of Madhya Pradesh forest officials to catch the elusive tiger, which had deserted Panna National Park last month, is still on. The big cat was spotted at the Taradehi forest in Damoh district on Thursday. For almost a month, the forest officials have been keeping a round-the-clock vigil to trace the tiger.

Murders are taking place over water in Madhya Pradesh, including the capital Bhopal, once known as the 'city of lakes'

Even as blood is being spilled over water here, parched Madhya Pradesh seeks divine help for rainfall with people trying every trick in their book to please the rain gods.

In order to preserve and enhance greenery in Madhya Pradesh, a local Non Government Organisation (NGO) has been campaigning in this direction by distributing plants/seeds to common people since five years.

In times like these, when forests are being cut down indiscriminately, there is still hope. Take the residents of Yalakundli, 22 kms from Sagar (on the Keladi-Kagodu road). The forest in the middle of the town (called Naga bana) is fiercely protected by villagers here. Also, there are temples in the forest, and the villagers believe it is the deities here that protect the forests.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the Central government for inclusion of Tikamgrh, Chhatarpur, Datia, Sagar and Satna districts in the special category under farm loan waiver scheme so that other farmers of this drought affected districts could also be reasonably benefited under the scheme. Chouhan has written a letter to the Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh urging him to advise the Union Finance Ministry in this regard.

It is not just the temperature that is rising in Madhya Pradesh but also the anxiety over water supply. Water has become so scarce that while people at some places are hiring armed guards to prevent its theft, at others they have been found using a lottery system to fill their buckets.

Madhya Pradesh government today decided to extend facilities under the Industrial Promotion Policy to 19 units worth Rs 9,397 crore. The decision was taken at an Investment Promotion Empowered Committee meeting chaired by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan here.

Finance Minister Raghavji, his Industry counterpart Jayant Malaiya and Chief Secretary Rakesh Sahni were among those present, official sources said.