The Madhya Pradesh High Court has delivered a sharp rebuke to the state government, labeling its response to deaths caused by contaminated drinking water in Indore as "insensitive." The court's strong remarks came during a hearing on Tuesday, January 7, 2026, concerning petitions related to fatalities and illnesses in the city's Bhagirathpura area.
Court Summons Chief Secretary, Demands Answers
A division bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi heard the petitions and took the significant step of summoning the state's Chief Secretary, Anurag Jain. The court has directed him to personally appear and provide a comprehensive account of several critical points. These include the status of the inquiry into the incident, orders issued to fix accountability, any disciplinary or penal action taken, compensation provided to victims, and measures implemented to prevent future water contamination across Madhya Pradesh.
During the proceedings, the state government, represented by Additional Advocate General Rahul Sethi, informed the court that eight deaths had been recorded so far. Sethi stated that the administration was facing challenges in attributing all deaths directly to water contamination, citing some fatalities due to cardiac arrest and pre-existing diagnosed illnesses. He confirmed that a committee had been formed to investigate the deaths and would submit its report within several days.
"Brought a Bad Name to Indore": Judicial Displeasure
The bench expressed profound dissatisfaction with how the situation has been managed. Justice Shukla pointedly remarked, "Such an insensitive response from the government… this incident has brought such a bad name to Indore, which is one of the cleanest cities of the country. It has become a news matter all over India and the world too."
The petitions highlighted systemic failures. Advocate Ajay Bagadia, representing the petitioners, revealed that despite a 2022 order from the Mayor-in-Council to lay new pipelines for drinking water supply, the work was stalled due to non-disbursement of funds by erring municipal corporation officers. He further cited a damning 2017-2018 report from the MP Pollution Control Board, where 59 out of 60 water samples tested across Indore were found to be non-potable. He argued that no preventive or corrective action was taken despite this report.
Bagadia contended that the responsible officers should face both civil and criminal liabilities, bearing not only heavy compensation but also criminal prosecution. The petitioners have sought the constitution of a high-level inquiry committee.
Court's Directives: Emergency and Long-Term Measures
Asserting that the Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution includes the right to clean drinking water, the bench outlined a series of directives. The court categorized its orders into emergency, preventive, and corrective measures.
Emergency Directions:
- The respondents (state and municipal authorities) must supply safe drinking water to all affected areas immediately.
- Contaminated sources, including specific pipelines, overhead tanks, borewells, and rivers, are to be taken out of use.
- Authorities must conduct medical screening of affected residents and provide free treatment in government and empanelled private hospitals.
Preventive and Corrective Measures:
- Regular water quality testing must be conducted systematically.
- Authorities must undertake the replacement or repair of pipelines, especially where sewer lines and water lines run parallel.
- Installation of online water quality monitoring systems is mandated.
- The city must prepare and implement a long-term water safety plan.
The court had previously, in an earlier hearing, directed the state government and the Indore Municipal Corporation to ensure clean water supply in affected areas and bear treatment costs. Petitioners, however, argued that these directions were not being followed, and residents continued to receive unclean water and inadequate medical care. They stressed that if complaints lodged by residents before the tragedy had been heeded, the loss of life could have been prevented.
