A tragic diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated water in Indore's Bhagirathpura area has resulted in the deaths of 10 people, unleashing a storm of political recrimination and administrative action against civic officials.
Outbreak and Escalating Blame Game
Four days after the fatalities came to light, elected representatives and officials of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) were locked in a fierce battle over responsibility. The BJP-led civic body faced mounting criticism for serious lapses that led to the public health crisis.
While city mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava and several corporators alleged that their complaints and instructions were routinely ignored by the administration, officials countered, claiming coordination was never an issue.
High-Level Meetings and Government Intervention
The conflict came to a head during a high-level meeting on Thursday chaired by Sanjay Dubey, the additional chief secretary for urban development. Sources indicate the atmosphere was tense, with BJP corporator Abhishek Sharma, in charge of water works, and former MLA Mahendra Hardia openly accusing officials of apathy.
The situation intensified on Friday following the intervention of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. The state government issued a showcause notice to IMC commissioner Dileep Kumar Yadav and transferred additional commissioner Rohit Sisoniya.
Mayor Bhargava publicly stated that instructions related to water and sewerage works were not properly followed and demanded strict action against those responsible.
Ground Reality and Denials
Expressing the frustration on the ground, Kamal Waghela, corporator of ward number 11, highlighted administrative delays. "Officers do not carry out our work quickly. It's been almost a week since the contamination began yet the reason for this has not been ascertained conclusively," Waghela said.
However, IMC commissioner Dileep Kumar Yadav had initially denied any possibility of negligence on the part of the administration.
Swift Administrative Action
In a decisive late-night development, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took stern action. He removed IMC commissioner Dileep Kumar Yadav from his post and suspended additional commissioner Rohit Sisoniya, along with PHE engineer in-charge Sanjeev Srivastava.
It is notable that Sisoniya had been removed from his position earlier but had not been given a new posting at that time. The swift suspensions signal the government's attempt to control the political fallout and address public anger over the tragedy that has shaken Indore.
