The Madhya Pradesh High Court pulled up the state government for an “insensitive” response to deaths and illness caused by contaminated water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area. The court has directed the MP Chief Secretary to appear via video conference on January 15 as it examines possible criminal or civil liability.
Indore, Jan 6 (PTI): Hearing a batch of petitions related to deaths and serious illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday directed the state Chief Secretary to appear before it through video conferencing on January 15.
The High Court strongly criticised the response of the state government and the local administration, calling it “insensitive”, said High Court Bar Association president Ritesh Inani, who is also one of the petitioners in the case.
A division bench comprising Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi was hearing four to five petitions filed in connection with the incident. Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Inani said the court was unhappy with the manner in which authorities handled the crisis.
Inani said,
“During the proceedings, the high court termed the response submitted by the government as insensitive and observed that the incident had not only shaken public trust but also adversely affected Indore’s image at the national level,”
The court also referred to Indore’s repeated top rankings in the Union government’s annual cleanliness survey and expressed serious concern over the negligence shown in a city known across the country for its cleanliness standards.
The bench further took a strict view of the status report submitted by the Indore Municipal Corporation and the district administration, particularly regarding the reported number of deaths. The court described the entire episode as extremely grave, Inani added.
According to him, the High Court will now examine whether the facts of the case point towards criminal liability or civil liability on the part of the authorities responsible for the water supply and public health.
The court directed that the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh must remain present before the High Court through video conference on January 15.
Meanwhile, the health situation in Bhagirathpura remains serious. Officials said that at least 38 fresh cases of vomiting and diarrhoea linked to contaminated drinking water were reported on Monday at the Bhagirathpura primary health centre. A senior official confirmed that the death toll in the incident has reached seven so far.
Health authorities further stated that six patients have been referred to higher medical centres for specialised treatment, while around 110 patients are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals. Out of these, 15 patients are admitted to Intensive Care Units (ICUs), indicating the severity of the outbreak.
The case has raised serious questions about public health safety, accountability of civic bodies, and administrative responsibility in one of India’s cleanest cities, with the High Court now closely monitoring the matter.
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