The death toll in the Indore water contamination tragedy climbed to ten on Friday, a public health disaster that a local BJP corporator claims was preventable. Kamal Waghela, the BJP corporator from ward number 11, had raised red flags about deteriorating water pipelines in Bhagirathpura as early as 2023, but his warnings went unheeded by civic officials.
Warnings Ignored for Over a Year
Approximately a year after the BJP's sweeping victory in the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) elections in July 2022, Kamal Waghela formally wrote to the civic body. His request was clear: replace the old and worn-out drinking water pipelines in Bhagirathpura, which falls under his ward. This plea, made to prevent exactly the kind of crisis that unfolded, was allegedly sidelined.
As severe criticism mounted against the IMC and the ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh following the diarrhoea outbreak caused by sewage contaminating the drinking water supply, Waghela took his grievance to the top. On Friday, he wrote a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, alleging that his repeated requests to replace the water pipelines were deliberately put on the back burner by officials.
A Paper Trail of Neglect
In his letter to the CM, Waghela detailed the bureaucratic delays. He stated that an official file for a new pipeline in Bhagirathpura was created on November 12, 2024, based on his demand. However, this file was allegedly held back for more than seven months without action.
"I had been warning since 2023 about the possibility of water getting contaminated and had also lodged a complaint on the CM Helpline," the corporator asserted. He explained that a tender was finally floated on July 30, 2025, only after he personally approached Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava. Yet, even then, Waghela alleges that "the tendering process was not completed in the stipulated time." He has demanded strict action against the responsible officials.
The Scale of the Problem and Immediate Fallout
Waghela highlighted the extent of the infrastructure crisis, noting that a staggering 40% of the pipelines in his ward are old and dilapidated. He estimated that an investment of approximately Rs 2.3 crore is required to replace them comprehensively.
The political and administrative fallout from the tragedy was swift. On Friday, CM Mohan Yadav removed the IMC commissioner and suspended an additional commissioner. In the wake of this upheaval, officials at the civic body did not respond to the specific allegations laid out by Corporator Waghela.
This tragedy underscores a critical failure in urban governance and preventive maintenance, where early warnings from an elected representative were ignored, ultimately leading to a devastating loss of life.
