CM Dr. Mohan Yadav orders suspensions of Indore municipal officials after tainted drinking water sickens residents; new guidelines issued.

In a late-night video conference on Friday, following his return from his trip to Jabalpur, Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav reviewed the issue involving the delivery of tainted drinking water in the Bhagirathpura region of Indore. The Indore Divisional Commissioner revealed during the meeting that drinking water contamination was the likely cause of the vomiting and diarrhea cases that were recorded in the Bhagirathpura neighborhood on December 28. The district administration, Health Department, and Municipal Corporation acted quickly after learning of the situation.

13,444 households were polled in all. A total of 310 individuals were admitted to hospitals; 235 of them have since healed and gone back to their homes. Ten ambulances were stationed for referrals, and doctors were on round-the-clock duty. A group of experts was dispatched to the impacted area, and hospital beds were set aside to guarantee free care. A round-the-clock call center has been set up to handle grievances. Assistance desks were set up, and more than 1,600 samples of drinking water were taken from homes.

Chief Minister Dr. Yadav emphasized that public health is the government’s main concern and expressed dissatisfaction with the Municipal Corporation administration’s actions. He threatened to punish officials who were proven to be careless. The Chief Minister ordered Shri Dilip Yadav, the Municipal Commissioner of Indore, to be removed and assigned to the Secretariat. Additionally, he ruled that Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisonia and In-charge Superintending Engineer Sanjeev Shrivastava should be suspended for their negligence.

In a meeting with the mayors of all municipal corporations in the state, as well as divisional commissioners, collectors, and municipal commissioners, Chief Minister Dr. Yadav gave them instructions to guarantee that the public had access to clean drinking water.

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In order to prevent a recurrence of incidents such as the one in Indore, Chief Minister Dr. Yadav directed members of urban local bodies to maintain a state of alertness and vigilance with regard to public health. He emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between officials and public representatives and instructed administrative officers to respond promptly when they receive phone or other complaints about drinking water or other important services.

The Urban Administration Department informed attendees during the conference of the regulations enacted to guarantee inhabitants have access to clean drinking water. Chief Minister Dr. Yadav instructed the relevant personnel to make sure that these rules are rigorously followed.

Key Points of Guidelines Issued to Ensure Citizens Have Access to Clean Drinking Water

• Determine which pipelines are over 20 years old and which locations are heavily populated.
• Determine which pipelines are old, which frequently leak, and which pipelines go under or close to drains or sewer systems.
• Within 48 hours, make sure that any leaks found during the inspection are fixed.
• Within seven days, check and make sure that the sump tanks and overhead tanks (OHTs) and water treatment plants (WTPs) are clean.
• At all WTPs, significant water sources, overhead tanks, and sump tanks, analyze water samples right away.
• In the event of contamination, cut off the water supply right away and make sure there is another source of clean drinking water.
• Assure round-the-clock chlorination system monitoring.
• Launch public awareness initiatives in every urban local government to identify pipeline leaks.
• Water supply-related issues should be handled as emergencies.
• Assure the obligatory 24- to 48-hour handling of complaints about contaminated water or leaks.
• Priority one should be given to resolving complaints about sewage and drinking water that are received through the CM Helpline.