Indore Water Contamination: Leaked Report Holds Officials Responsible, Clears Politicians

A leaked probe report into the contaminated drinking water crisis in Bhagirathpura, Indore, has reportedly held several civic officials responsible for negligence while clearing public representatives and the Municipal Corporation Council of wrongdoing.

The 150-page report was prepared by the Justice Sushil Gupta Committee following directions from the High Court. The court had ordered the report to remain confidential, but some of its findings have now reportedly been leaked.

According to the leaked details, 24 of the 36 deaths examined by the committee were confirmed to have been caused by contaminated water. The report reportedly concluded that negligence by officials allowed polluted water to continue reaching residents, contributing to the deaths.

Old Pipeline, Delayed Action

The committee reportedly found that officials were aware that the Narmada water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura was old and leaking. Despite this, action to replace the damaged pipeline was allegedly delayed.

Sources cited by Jagran.com said Narmada Project Executive Engineer Sanjeev Srivastava was directly held responsible for negligence. The committee reportedly noted that Srivastava had worked in the department for a long time and was familiar with the condition of the area and pipeline.

Several IAS officers who served in the Indore Municipal Corporation have also reportedly been held responsible for negligence. They include Additional Commissioners Rohit Sisonia, Sandeep Soni, Saroj Prajapati and Pragya Tiwari, as well as former Municipal Commissioner Ashish Singh.

At the same time, former Municipal Commissioners Shivam Verma, Pratibha Pal and Dilip Yadav, along with Additional Commissioner Abhilash Mishra, have reportedly been given a clean chit.

Politicians Cleared By Probe

The investigation reportedly found no responsibility on the part of public representatives or the Municipal Corporation Council.

The committee is said to have observed that timely replacement of the ageing pipeline could have prevented contaminated water from reaching homes and potentially averted the scale of the tragedy.

The first death linked to the contaminated water in Bhagirathpura was reported on December 21 last year. The incident subsequently claimed additional lives and raised serious questions over the maintenance of the city’s water supply network.

Rs 20 Lakh Aid Recommended

The committee has reportedly recommended Rs 20 lakh compensation for the family of each person whose death was confirmed to have resulted from contaminated water.

For people affected by the contaminated water supply, the committee has recommended compensation of Rs 5 lakh each.

The probe examined 36 deaths in total. While 24 were confirmed to have been caused by contaminated water, the committee reportedly could not establish with certainty whether the remaining 12 deaths were linked to the water contamination or other underlying health complications.

Since the full report remains confidential under the High Court’s order, the leaked findings represent only portions of the committee’s conclusions.