The Madhya Pradesh High Court on Thursday granted a one-month extension to a commission investigating the deaths linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, directing the state government to supply all records sought by the panel. The matter will next be heard on April 6.
A division bench comprising Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi was hearing petitions related to the water contamination tragedy. The court allowed the one-member inquiry commission, headed by former High Court judge Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, additional time to file its comprehensive report on the incident.
During the hearing, the commission submitted an interim report before the High Court in a sealed cover. According to Manish Yadav, counsel for one of the petitioners, the state government had not yet provided several key documents sought by the commission. These include post-mortem reports of the deceased, drinking water test reports, and records related to the water pipeline system.
Taking note of the interim report, the High Court directed the state government to furnish the requested documents to the commission at the earliest so that the inquiry can proceed effectively.
The court has fixed April 6 as the next date of hearing, by which time the commission has been asked to submit its detailed findings in the Bhagirathpura case.
Meanwhile, another petitioner has raised fresh allegations in the case. Counsel Ajay Bagadia informed the court that a new application filed by his client claims employees responsible for maintaining a large municipal corporation overhead water tank had added potassium chloride tablets to the tank without any authorisation or reason.
The application alleges that the excessive presence of potassium chloride in the tank, which supplies water to Bhagirathpura, made the drinking water unsafe and adversely affected the health of local residents. The High Court may consider this application during the next hearing on April 6.
The controversy stems from an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea in Bhagirathpura that began in late December last year and was linked to contaminated drinking water. While local residents and the Congress have claimed that 36 people died in the incident, state Health Minister Rajendra Shukla informed the assembly on February 19 that 22 deaths were attributable to contaminated water in the area.
