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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 237
ANSWERED ON 02/02/2026
WATER POLLUTION CRISES IN THE COUNTRY
237. SHRI ASHOK SINGH:
Will the Minister of HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government acknowledges that while Indore receives ‘Smart City Awards’,
residents in areas like Bhagirathpura are dying due to the criminal negligence of the
administration in supplying sewage-mixed drinking water;
(b) if so, whether the Municipal Commissioner and responsible engineers have been booked
for negligence or held personally liable, rather than shifting blame to lower-level staff; and
(c) the specific details of the compensation (financial and employment) provided to the kin of
the deceased and why the Ministry continues to fund ‘Smart City’ marketing when basic
life-saving infrastructure is failing?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN AFFAIRS
(SHRI TOKHAN SAHU)
(a) to (c): Water is a State subject and management of water is the responsibility of the State
Government. Government of India supplements the efforts of the States through schematic
interventions/ advisories. It provides financial and technical support to the States through various
schemes/ Missions such as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) and
AMRUT 2.0 for approved infrastructure projects aimed at improving urban services, including water
supply and sewerage systems. Under this Mission, the State/ UTs are empowered to select, appraise,
prioritise and implement the projects as per their local requirements including augmentation/
rehabilitation of infrastructure as per Mission guidelines. The State Governments are responsible for
monitoring, enforcement and corrective action for drinking water safety.
The State Government has informed that immediately upon receiving information on
28.12.2025 regarding incidents of vomiting and diarrhoea in Bhagirath Pura, Indore, the Indore
Municipal Corporation (IMC) along with the Health Department and Public Health Engineering
Department initiated a joint and prompt response. First and foremost, all sick patients were attended
to and the ones who were serious, were hospitalized in super-specialty Medical College and Private
hospital of repute. Not so sick were attended to by Health and Integrated Child Development Services
(ICDS) workers with door-to-door survey and distribution of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS)
packets and Chlorine tablets for Water disinfection. Water Supply through pipelines and borewells
were completely stopped and water tankers were forced into service. Samples were taken from
multiple supply points at user end to ascertain the type of contamination and sent to NABL accredited
labs. Immediate remedial action like identifications of leakages, possibility of inter mixing of
contaminated water was taken up and repair works started. The area has old pipelines dating 1997
and some of it is damaged, so municipal administration identified the old stretches of pipeline and
included in AMRUT 2.0
…2/--2-
The State Government has provided ex-gratia financial assistance to the families of the
deceased as per prevailing State norms. ₹40 lakh compensation was given to the deceased from
Bhagirath Pura. Medical treatment to affected persons was provided free of cost in Government/
Private hospitals. In Bhagirath Pura, 35,421 households surveyed by health officials in which
1,64,942 people were screened. 454 patients were admitted to hospital out of which 441 have been
discharged. AIIMS Bhopal experts visited Indore on 03.01.2026 and shared protocol regarding the
treatment during meetings and 24X7 medical facility has been ensured by the State.
The State Government has also informed that disciplinary action has been taken against the
officers responsible for lapses in discharge of duties in connection with the Bhagirathpura incident.
The Commissioner, IMC and Additional Commissioner & in-charge of Drinking Water Supply were
transferred. The Executive Engineer (Narmada) has been placed under suspension for serious lapse
in discharge of duties related to the incident. Further, the Assistant Engineer, Zone No. 04, and Zonal
Officer, Zone No. 04, Ward No. 11, were placed under suspension for carelessness, negligence, and
disobedience of orders of senior officers, and departmental inquiries have been initiated against them.
Muster Sub-Engineer, Zone No. 04, Ward No. 11, has been relieved from duty (terminated), his
remuneration was stopped, and his employment ID was permanently locked.
The State Government has also informed that the subject matter is presently sub judice before
the Hon’ble High Court, Indore. Hon’ble High Court in their order dated 27.01.2026 appointed
Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, former Judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court, a one-man commission
of inquiry into the issues relating to water contamination in Bhagirath Pura, Indore, and its impact
on other areas of the city.
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