Highlighting the water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathapura, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has said the locality that lost at least 15 people resulting from water-borne illnesses had turned into a crematorium because of government laxity and lack of accountability.
Sharing a video on Facebook, Gandhi, who visited the city on Saturday, talked about grieving families who had been charged for water tankers and clean water pipelines, which too is missing now.
“The entire Bhagirathapura has become a crematorium! This is the story of the grieving victims–whose families paid the price of government corruption with their lives. They were even charged for clean water lines and tankers–but that too has disappeared, like many of the deceased and their records. What happened is not a mistake, it is a massacre–for which no accountability has been fixed even now,” he said.
Also Read: Indore water contamination: Rahul Gandhi meets affected families
Residents were seen recounting harrowing experiences in the video, with one family member talking about his mother developing severe diarrhoea and uncontrollable vomiting after drinking dirty water. Despite medical intervention, she was declared dead within a few hours.
Others alleged that they were charged ₹1,200 for water tankers. Last year too, said a resident, authorities relined the water pipelines, but charged each household ₹3,000 for the lines to be reconnected.
One local also claimed that official death figures have been underreported, stating that over 50 people had died due to the consumption of contaminated water. He alleged that some bodies were sent back to their native places late at night, and records at the crematorium were missing.
Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, met the families of the victims who died due to the consumption of dirty drinking water and also those who are undergoing treatment.
He accused the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of criminal negligence over the deaths and illnesses caused by contaminated drinking water in the Indore locality, saying the government must take responsibility and ensure adequate compensation and assistance to the affected families.
After meeting the victims and their families, Gandhi said access to clean drinking water remains a serious issue across the country and failure to provide that reflected the government’s inability to discharge its basic responsibilities.
“Several people have died, and many others have fallen ill after consuming contaminated water in the area. Such incidents are a direct consequence of administrative negligence. The affected families must be given proper compensation and support,” he demanded.
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