Indore, Jan 3 (IANS) The political temperature in Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital soared on Saturday as state Congress president Jitu Patwari issued a stark ultimatum to the Mohan Yadav government over the ongoing water contamination tragedy in the Bhagirathpura locality.
Patwari blamed "systemic corruption" for the alleged 16 deaths caused by the contaminated municipal water supply and demanded immediate action against senior BJP leader and Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya.
"If Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav has the courage, he should demand the resignation of Kailash Vijayvargiya and initiate legal proceedings, including charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder, against the responsible officers and employees," Patwari declared.
He attributed the deaths solely to "corruption prevailing in the system" and warned that "failure to accept Vijayvargiya's resignation or terminate him by January 11 would trigger a massive Congress-led agitation in Indore".
The crisis, which involves sewage mixing with drinking water pipelines, has seen conflicting reports on the death toll.
While official figures from the state government and Health Department confirm around four deaths linked to diarrhoea outbreaks, opposition leaders and locals, including Congress, alleged up to 16 fatalities, with hundreds hospitalised and thousands affected.
Umang Singhar, Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, alleged that despite "irregularities", Comproller and Auditor General's report in 2019, the state government did not pay any attention.
On his X handle, Singhar wrote, 15 people have reportedly died in Indore from consuming contaminated municipal water, highlighting persistent civic failures despite the city's "cleanest" tag.
In 2004, Madhya Pradesh borrowed $200 million from the Asian Development Bank for 25 years to enhance water supply and quality in Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur, and Gwalior.
Yet, a 2019 CAG report exposed severe lapses in Bhopal and Indore: limited daily supply zones, only 56 per cent household tap connections, delayed leak repairs (22-182 days), thousands of unfit water samples with no follow-up, high non-revenue water loss (30-70 per cent), unpaid tariffs worth Rs 470 crore, low per capita supply, unclean tanks, and 5,45,000 waterborne disease cases.
"No corrective actions followed, underscoring how tragedies prompt response only after lives are lost," he wrote.
Tensions boiled over during a visit by Congress leaders to Bhagirathpura to console affected families. BJP workers, joined by some residents, showed black flags and chanted "Go back, go back!" slogans against the visiting delegation.
Congress workers retaliated with counter-slogans, leading to heated clashes and a volatile atmosphere that lasted over an hour.
A large number of women participated in the protests. Prominent Congress figures, including Women's Congress President Reena Bourasi, Indore Congress President Chintu Choukse, and former minister Sajjan Singh Verma, managed to meet some bereaved families amid the chaos.
Police from three stations rushed to the spot, intervened to separate the groups, and used mild force to escort Congress workers out of the locality for safety.
No major injuries were reported, but the incident highlighted deepening political divisions over the handling of the crisis in India's repeatedly awarded "cleanest city."
The BJP has defended its response, with administrative actions including suspensions, dismissals of officials, and a probe committee.
However, opposition accusations of negligence, cover-ups, and arrogance continue to fuel the controversy.
Authorities are supplying water via tankers, and repairs to pipelines are underway.
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has also directed immediate clean water supply and free treatment for victims. As grief-stricken families mourn and residents remain wary of tap water, the episode has sparked a broader debate on civic infrastructure lapses despite Indore's national accolades for cleanliness.
--IANS
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