Indore needs to speak out louder against contaminated water: Jitu Patwari

Indore, Feb 2 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Congress President, Jitu Patwari, on Monday said that people of Indore should raise their voice on the water contamination issue in a show of solidarity with people who died in Bhagirathpura in the city and to make the administration and the public representatives accountable.

Former Congress Minister Jitu Patwari, who also belongs to Indore, in a video message on Monday claimed that so far 32 people have lost lives due to contaminated water in Bhagirathpura, however, the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and district failed to provide safe drinking water to several parts of the city.

“One more resident of Bhagirathpura, who was admitted at Bombay Hospital in Indore, has died today (Monday) morning, who has been identified as Anil Kushwaha. With this, 32 people have died, which is alarming and the people of Indore need to step out and raise their voice to make the authorities accountable,” Patwari said.

Patwari informed that the Congress party will hold a peaceful demonstration with public participation near Rajwada palace in Indore to raise the issue of the BJP government failing to fix the accountability of responsible persons in the contaminated water tragedy in the city.

“Despite 32 deaths in Bhagirathpura, people of Indore didn’t raise their voice. As a responsible Opposition, the Congress is constantly raising this issue and would appeal to the people of Indore to speak out for safe water,” Patwari said in a video message on Monday.

The Madhya Pradesh government or Indore district administration, which has been monitoring the health condition of people affected by contaminated water in Bhagirathpura, was yet to issue any official statement regarding the fresh casualties.

Notably, the matter is being heard in the Indore Division Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court.

In the last hearing on January 27, the High Court had appointed a former judge of the Court, Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, as a one-member Commission of Inquiry to investigate the alleged water contamination tragedy in Bhagirathpura area of Indore and its impact on other parts of the city, observing that the incident prima facie raises serious concerns relating to the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The Court has noted that while the Madhya Pradesh Government and the Indore Municipal Corporation had filed compliance reports claiming adherence to earlier directions, serious disputes remained regarding the actual implementation.

The Madhya Pradesh government on January 27 had submitted that it “relied upon a death audit and analytical report indicating that out of 23 deaths examined, 16 were attributed to water contamination, while the remaining cases were termed inconclusive.”

--IANS