Indore tragedy: Diarrhoea deaths a blot on India’s cleanest city
It’s a tragic irony that India’s cleanest city, Indore, has witnessed at least 10 deaths due to a diarrhoea outbreak caused by contaminated water. Leakage in the main drinking water supply pipeline has exposed thousands of residents in the Bhagirathpura area to a public health hazard. This is clearly the outcome of administrative negligence, and the Madhya Pradesh government should not shy away from taking strict action against officials at all levels. The sorry state of affairs has compelled the National Human Rights Commission and the MP High Court to intervene. The troubling truth is that the authorities tasked with protecting the health of citizens swung into action only after lives were lost. This malaise, however, is not confined to Indore; it’s a nationwide phenomenon. Formation of inquiry committees, announcement of compensation and suspension of junior officials have become all-too-familiar exercises in damage control.
It was on New Year’s Eve that Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid stress on the mantra of ‘reform, perform and transform’. He highlighted the need to simplify procedures and make systems more friendly for ease of living. But how can ease of living be ensured when citizens are deprived of basic needs such as clean air and water? The ‘double-engine’ governments in Delhi and MP have woefully failed on this front.
Viksit Bharat@2047 is a distant goal. It’s the here and now that matters more to the people. Fancy acronyms like PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) and SWAGAT (State Wide Attention on Grievances by Application of Technology) would mean nothing if they are not backed by concrete action on the ground. The Supreme Court has repeatedly asserted that the right to a healthy environment is part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21. The Indore tragedy shows how easily this right can be violated when urban infrastructure is poorly maintained. The bottom line: cleanliness rankings, smart city labels and governance slogans cannot mask systemic neglect.
