In the Bhagirathpura area of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, due to the consumption of contaminated Narmada river water supplied in households through taps by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), as many as 15 people have died, officials said.
Photo: IANS
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Friday ordered the transfer of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Additional Commissioner and the in-charge Superintending Engineer (SE) of the waterworks section in connection with the Indore Narmada river drinking water tragedy.
In the Bhagirathpura area of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, due to the consumption of contaminated Narmada river water supplied in households through taps by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), as many as 15 people have died, officials said.
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The CM held a high-level meeting at the CM House in Bhopal with Chief Secretary Anurag Jain, Additional Chief Secretary of Urban Administration, Sanjay Dubey and other officials.
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The CM reviewed the report submitted by ACS Dubey in the matter. Subsequently, the CM ordered the removal of IMC Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisonia and water works SE Sanjeev Shrivastava.
The CM also directed officials to issue show cause notices to IMC Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav, and Rohit Sisonia.
In a post on X, the CM wrote, “…I issued directions to the Indore Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Additional Commissioner to issue a show-cause notice in this regard, to immediately remove the Additional Commissioner from Indore, and to relieve the In-Charge Superintending Engineer of the charge of the Water Distribution Works Department. I also issued directions to immediately fill the necessary positions in the Indore Municipal Corporation with effect from now.”
Local Corporator of the Bhagirathpura locality, Kamal Waghela confirmed today that at least 15 deaths have occurred. “From last Friday till today, around 15 people have died due to the contaminated water”, Waghela told some media persons.
The unofficial figure, nonetheless, rose to 19 on Friday, with an elderly lady succumbing to symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration at a private hospital.
As per sources, Geeta Bai (68) died at the Aurobindo Hospital during treatment today. She had been admitted with symptoms of severe diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration.
The Human Rights Commission has also taken cognisance of the matter.
Following the CM’s directives, the state government this evening posted Rohit Sisonia as Deputy Secretary in the State Secretariat at Bhopal.
Three new Additional Commissioners were also posted in the IMC. They include Akash Singh, Prakhar Singh, and Ashish Kumar Pathak.
Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, slammed the BJP government over the deaths in the case.
Gandhi wrote on X, “Not water, but poison has been supplied in Indore.”
“Clean water is not a favour, but a basic right”, Gandhi averred. “The double-engine BJP government, its insensitive administration, and arrogant leaders are fully responsible”, Rahul Gandhi alleged.
“Madhya Pradesh has become the epicentre of misgovernance and corruption”, he charged.
“And Modi ji stays silent, as usual, whenever poor people die”, Rahul Gandhi stated.
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