Rahul to meet victims of Indore water contamination, visit affected locality on Saturday

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will meet families and patients affected by the outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea linked to water contamination in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore on Saturday, the party said on Friday.

State Congress president Jitu Patwari said 24 people died after drinking contaminated water in Bhagirathpura area, and eight to 10 patients were in critical condition. The state government, however, estimates that the death toll from the tragedy is seven people, including a five-month-old infant.

Gandhi will arrive in Indore on Saturday and meet the affected people who are undergoing treatment at Bombay Hospital, a private facility, he told reporters. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha will also visit Bhagirathpura and meet the affected families to express condolences, he said.
Patwari said the Congress wanted to hold a conference in the presence of Gandhi to discuss solutions to the problem of contaminated drinking water, involving intellectuals, environmentalists and municipal councilors from across the state, but the administration refused permission.

“Therefore, we will organize this conference at a later date,” Patwari said.

He further claimed that 70 percent of the water supplied in the state was contaminated and unsafe to drink, and described polluted water as a “slow poison” causing serious damage to kidneys and other organs.

Targeting the ruling BJP, Patwari alleged, “Despite several deaths due to contaminated drinking water in Indore, state ministers are busy with big events and mistreating us, asking why we are raising questions over this incident.” Residents of Bhagirathpura claimed that 24 people had died so far due to the vomiting and diarrhea outbreak that broke out in the locality last month.

The state government on Thursday submitted a situation report before the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, in which it said seven people, including a five-month-old infant, died in the outbreak.

Meanwhile, a “death audit” report by a committee of the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College said the deaths of 15 people in Bhagirathpura could be linked in some way to the outbreak.

Asked by the media about Gandhi’s visit, former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan said the opposition should play its role with full might in a democracy.

“The opposition should do its work with full force in a democracy. Let him (Gandhi) come. If he gives good suggestions, the people concerned should take them into consideration,” Mahajan said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said her party had also been in opposition in the past and had won the trust of the people by fighting with all its might for public causes.

Incidentally, a day before Gandhi’s arrival in Indore, Mahajan met Jitu Patwari at his residence, where the two leaders discussed the diarrhea outbreak in Bhagirathpura.

“During the meeting, Patwari told me that everyone should work together to find a solution to the problem of contaminated drinking water in the city. I also think that this problem should be solved by rising above party politics. Suggestions from technical experts should also be sought,” she said.

Speaking on the Viksit Bharat-G RAM G Act, Mahajan called the Congress’ opposition “meaningless”.

“This law is called Ji Ram Ji for short. When we implement the rural employment guarantee scheme, everyone will remember Ram. This is a good thing,” she said.

Mahajan also gave a measured response to allegations that statues of former Holkar ruler of Indore Devi Ahilyabai were damaged during redevelopment work at Manikarnika Ghat in Varanasi.

“Though I don’t know which statues were damaged at the Ghat, it is equally important that the government pursues development while preserving the historical heritage. Regardless, the Varanasi administration has already clarified the situation and said that the facilities for the public are being improved at Manikarnika Ghat,” she asserted.