The recent deaths in Indore's Bhagirathpura area, linked to contaminated drinking water, have painfully highlighted a failure to act on stark warnings documented years ago. This tragedy has forced the city to confront uncomfortable questions about why scientific reports and formal recommendations failed to translate into sustained, life-saving action.
A Damning Report from 2016-17: Widespread Groundwater Contamination
A crucial ground-level investigation conducted by the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (PCB) between 2016 and 2017 had already sounded a loud alarm. The study, which covered 60 locations across Indore, collected samples from borewells, handpumps, and other groundwater sources directly used by residents. The findings were alarming.
Laboratory analysis revealed that nearly all samples contained total coliform levels exceeding 10 MPN per 100 ml. Scientists involved in the testing, who spoke anonymously, stated that such levels clearly indicated faecal contamination due to sewage seeping into groundwater. "At this level, the water is unfit for human consumption. What we saw pointed to direct contamination," explained one retired scientist. The assessment found contamination at 59 of the 60 locations tested, with Bhagirathpura and surrounding low-lying areas specifically identified among the affected zones.
Formal Warnings and Recommendations That Were Ignored
The PCB formally communicated its critical findings to the Indore Municipal Corporation. The report explicitly recommended that the affected water sources be declared unsafe for drinking. It proposed concrete measures to prevent public health disasters, including:
- Installing display boards and warning stickers at contaminated handpumps and borewells.
- Taking urgent steps to prevent sewage from mixing with water lines.
Officials familiar with the report said it made it clear that groundwater in large parts of Indore was not potable due to persistent sewage contamination. This risk was especially high in areas with aging pipelines, inadequate separation of drainage systems, and chronic waterlogging.
A Recurring Pattern of Neglect: Echoes of a 1980 Study
Disturbingly, the 2016 report was not the first major warning. The city faced a similar crisis decades earlier. Following a cholera outbreak in 1980, authorities commissioned Dr. A.K. Govila of Gwalior Medical College to study Indore's drinking water system. That historic report, according to environmentalists involved, identified 113 leaks in water supply lines and 111 dangerous cross-connections between drinking water and drainage lines. Dr. Govila had recommended strengthening the municipal health department and creating a dedicated cell to monitor waterborne risks.
Public health experts now stress that the Bhagirathpura incident, where contamination likely occurred within the distribution network, is a direct consequence of this long-standing neglect. In older urban settlements, groundwater contamination and pipeline leakages often coexist, creating a perfect storm for disease when water pressure drops or supply is intermittent.
The Urgent Call for Action: From Paper to Practice
The tragic deaths have sparked a renewed demand for accountability and urgent action. Senior advocate Anil Trivedi, who was general secretary of the Lokdal party at the time of the 1980 report, emphasized that lessons from such studies must not remain confined to paper. He stated that the Bhagirathpura tragedy underscores the critical need for a time-bound action plan to identify and repair leaks in drinking water pipelines across the city to prevent a larger-scale disaster.
The sequence of events reveals a systemic failure: a scientific report in 2016-17, a formal communication to civic authorities, specific recommendations, and yet, no sustained corrective action. The result has been the avoidable loss of lives in Bhagirathpura, forcing Indore to reckon with the deadly cost of inaction.
