Indian families in Kuwait left without water

Imagine coming home after a long shift to find the taps dry again – no water for washing, cooking, or giving your kids a bath. That’s the reality for around 80 Indian families in Kuwait right now, and the people feeling it hardest are children and pregnant women.

These are ordinary working families, the kind who make up a large share of Kuwait’s expat community, living in rented flats and trying to get by on tight budgets. For them, a basic thing like running water has turned into a daily struggle.

But the water shortage isn’t the only complaint coming from these households. Tenants say the people meant to be helping them – the building caretakers, locally known as haris – are instead adding to their financial pressure.

What families say is happening

According to residents who spoke about their situation, the water problem has been going on long enough to become a real hardship, not just an inconvenience. Households with young children and expectant mothers say they’re the ones who feel it most, since they depend on a steady water supply for basic daily needs.

Alongside the water issue, tenants describe a pattern with the caretakers who manage these rental buildings. Multiple families allege that caretakers ask for a commission – somewhere between KD 200 and KD 250 – simply to arrange a flat for them. Some tenants say that when they’ve refused to pay this amount, they’ve been turned away and denied accommodation altogether.

On top of that upfront demand, residents say they’re also charged a recurring monthly fee of KD 5, described as a cleaning charge. For families already stretched thin by rent, work, and daily living costs, tenants say these extra payments pile on pressure they can’t easily absorb.

Why this matters beyond one building

Actually it is not common in Kuwait or any country of GCC.

It’s worth being clear about what we know and don’t know here. The report doesn’t specify which area of Kuwait these 80 families live in, how long the water shortage has lasted, or whether any government body has stepped in yet. Those details aren’t confirmed, and we’d treat them as open questions rather than fill in the gaps ourselves.

What this means if you’re renting in Kuwait

If you’re an expat tenant, particularly in older buildings or areas with a high concentration of rental flats for workers and families, this is a reminder to be cautious about side payments. A caretaker asking for a commission just to hand over a flat, outside of your actual rent agreement, isn’t something you’re obliged to accept – even if it’s common practice in some buildings.

It’s also a reminder that basic services like water supply are something tenants are entitled to raise with their landlord or the relevant municipal authority if problems drag on, rather than simply living with it. Families with young children or pregnant members are especially vulnerable when water access becomes unreliable, and that’s exactly the group this report says has been hit hardest.

This isn’t the first time an everyday situation involving Kuwait’s rental housing or public services has caught people’s attention online – we’ve previously covered how small, relatable incidents, like our look at the viral safety pin on a train story, can spark wider conversations about daily life here. You can also follow more local news from Kuwait as this situation develops.

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