The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Tuesday ordered authorities to stop supplying contaminated water in Indore and take immediate measures to address a serious public health emergency.
The directions came
after reports that unsafe drinking water had caused mass illness and claimed the lives of eight people, including elderly residents. Over 1,100 people were affected, with more than 110 requiring hospitalisation.
A division bench of Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi observed that the incident has tarnished the reputation of Indore, which was once recognised as the cleanest city in the country.
On December 31, the court had already directed the Indore Municipal Corporation to supply clean drinking water to the Bhagirathpura locality and submit a status report detailing hospitalisations and treatment provided.
During Tuesday’s hearing, petitioner’s counsel said the water being supplied remained contaminated despite the court’s earlier orders. Residents had raised concerns before the incident, but no preventive action was taken, Live Law reported.
A senior advocate also highlighted that a freshwater pipeline project notified in 2022 had not been implemented due to non-disbursement of funds. Earlier testing by the MP Pollution Control Board in 2017-18 found 59 of 60 water samples in the city failed quality tests, yet no corrective measures were taken.
The court passed a series of emergency and preventive directions. These included the immediate supply of safe drinking water through government tankers, the stoppage of water from contaminated pipelines, borewells, and river sources, and prompt medical treatment for affected residents at government and panelled private hospitals.
It also ordered comprehensive water quality testing, replacement of old and damaged pipelines, installation of online water monitoring systems, and strict chlorination and disinfection protocols.
The court directed the Chief Secretary and senior municipal officials to ensure strict compliance and appear in the next hearing via video conference to report measures taken statewide. The matter is listed for January 15.
