Ward Councilor Swings, Water Works In-Charge Serves Food: Govt Apathy Exposed As Indore ‘Killer Water’ Tragedy Worsens

Indore: The water crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area has already put the ruling BJP state government in a tight spot. Now, to make matters worse, a photo of a local councilor serving food at a public event, while a video of another one, enjoying a swing, has surfaced and gone viral, inviting public ire.

One of the videos show local ward councilor Kamal Waghela leisurely swinging in a garden. Another, is a photo of Indore Municipal Councillor (MIC) member and Water Works in-charge Bablu Sharma, serving food at an event which he had organised on Saturday. The two incidents, caught on camera, highlight the gross negligence of the local authorities amid the impending crisis in Bhagirathpura.

The Water Works Department of the Indore Municipal Corporation is directly responsible for providing clean water to all residents in the city.

Speaking to Republic over a phone call, Waghela said that that he was the first person from the administration to file a complaint against the water contamination issue, but no fix has been found.

“I was the first one to complaint that the water was smelling. We inspected the tank. It was clean and no leakage was found. It has been six days and no leakage was found. However the smell is persisting. It might be a conspiracy,” he said.

Admitting that the government is completely responsible to mitigate this water crisis, he said, “It is our responsibility. All of us are working on it. But so far no reports of leakage have been found.”

Defending his action of swinging, the Councillor said that he was just sitting on the bench after a long tiresome walk.

“I have not slept for the last three days and I am constantly working. I was with the Mayor. I was not swinging. I just sat there. I am a sugar patient and I have been walking constantly,” he said.

The water crisis in Indore has highlighted the utter negligence and apathy of the Madhya Pradesh government and has exposed the hypocrisy of Indore’s local administration, the city which was recognized as the country’s cleanest city.

The state government has entered into a firefighting mode with senior Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya meeting the families of the people affected after consuming contaminated water in the Bhagirathpura area, on a two-wheeler.

Some of the locals expressed their grievances over water supply in their locality to the Minister.

“No one is paying any attention to the drainage line, which is being attached to the drinking water supply. We have been facing a lot of problems for the past 1.5-2 years,” a local was heard venting out to Vijayvargiya.

In order to salvage the scenario, the government is trying to hush up the number of people affected by the incident, still maintaining that only four people have died so far.

“Around 198 people have been hospitalised after consuming contaminated water. No one is in the danger zone. We are committed to ensuring that lives are saved and proper treatment is provided to people. As per officials, four people have died, but the people here have said that nine people have lost their lives. We will look into it and offer compensation,” Vijayvargiya said in a desperate attempt to cover up the number of deceased.

As per locals in the area, at least 13 individuals have died so far after drinking the contaminated water in Bhagirathpura. However, the death figures have not yet been officially confirmed. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the Indore Collector have officially stated the number of deaths is only four.

Approximately 1500 people are currently hospitalised, and 26 are being treated in the Intensive Care Unit.

Earlier, Kailash Vijayvargiya announced that the government will provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of those who have died and free treatment to all the patients.

Pointing out that number of patients are steadily going down, Vijayvargiya said, “The number of patients arriving has decreased since yesterday. ​​Since last night, 60 patients have arrived, and more than half have received primary treatment and been sent home. Those whose condition is serious have been sent to the hospital. We have made 100 beds available at Arvind Hospital and allocated an entire 100-bed ward at MY Hospital. Some children have been sent to Chacha Nehru Hospital.”

The Minister also informed that the source of the contaminated water has been identified and is being repaired, assuring that the situation will be back to normal “within a day or two.”

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted in connection with the contaminated water tragedy. Yadav met people undergoing treatment after falling ill due to alleged consumption of contaminated water in Indore.

“A problem with the drinking water supply came to light, resulting in a large number of people falling ill with vomiting and diarrhoea and being admitted to various hospitals. Upon becoming aware of the situation, immediate action was taken, and within two to three days, more than 40 thousand people were screened,” he said speaking to the media.

Indore Collector Shivam Verma said that Zonal Officer Shaligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi have been suspended with immediate effect, while In-charge Sub-Engineer (PHE) Shubham Shrivastava has been dismissed from service with immediate effect.

A three-member committee, under the leadership of IAS Navjeevan Panwar, has also been constituted to investigate the matter.