In the heart of Indore, a desperate plea for survival has emerged from a community often left unheard. A group of six speech and hearing-impaired residents from the city's Bhagirathpura locality has made a direct appeal to the district administration, demanding safe drinking water and medical intervention. Their appeal comes in the wake of a severe public health crisis caused by contaminated tap water, which has already claimed nearly 20 lives in their neighbourhood.
A Silent Cry for Help Amid a Health Emergency
The crisis found an unusual and powerful voice through Chetan Nim, a 35-year-old resident. Unable to speak or hear, Nim communicated his community's anguish through a poignant written letter and a sign-language video addressed to the district collector. He was joined by five others from the same building, all around the same age and with similar impairments: his wife Geeta Nim, Shailendra Singh and his wife Priyanka, and Yogesh Wankhede and his wife Vandana.
Living in the same building and communicating primarily through sign language, the group shared their harrowing ordeal with the help of Chetan's mother, who acted as an interpreter. They described a daily life turned into a nightmare, where the government water supply is contaminated with sewage, posing a severe health hazard.
Financial Catastrophe and a Legal Appeal
For these families, the water crisis is not merely an inconvenience; it is a financial catastrophe. With no access to safe municipal water, they are forced to purchase expensive Reverse Osmosis (RO) purified water daily. This added expense is crippling for individuals whose disabilities limit them to part-time work and a fragile financial condition.
"We cannot speak or hear, but our pain is as deep as anyone else's in Bhagirathpura," the group conveyed. "Our financial condition is already weak. Buying expensive water every day is becoming impossible. At least arrange RO water for us so we can be free from this misery."
In his formal appeal, Chetan Nim invoked the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016. He specifically cited Section 8, which mandates government protection for persons with disabilities during emergencies, and Section 24, which requires priority access to health services for them. His letter framed the situation in Bhagirathpura as a dire "health emergency," expressing deep fear of fatal waterborne diseases like cholera.
A Stark Reminder of Vulnerability
While the district administration continues its "Water Audit" and cleanup efforts in the area, the silent plea from building number 581 stands as a powerful testament to the disproportionate impact of disasters on the most vulnerable. Their struggle underscores a fundamental truth: access to clean water is a basic human right, integral to living with dignity.
For Chetan, Geeta, and their friends, this fight transcends the immediate need for a drop of water. It is a fight for the right to life and safety that is guaranteed to them by law. Their courageous appeal challenges the system to look beyond the noise and listen to those who communicate in silence, ensuring that no one is left behind in a public health emergency.
