Between 2013 and 2018, 5.45 lakh cases of waterborne diseases were reported in these cities because 3.62 lakh families in Bhopal and 5.33 lakh families in Indore (a total of 8.95 lakh families) were not being supplied with clean drinking water.
Bhopal: Had the state government paid heed to Comptroller & Auditor General (CAG) report which pointed out as many as 5.45 lakh waterborne diseases in Indore and Bhopal alone in 5 years period the tragedy that happened in Indore could have been averted.
Underlining the abovementioned fact Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), MP, associated with JSA India, said on Saturday, “It is extremely sad and worrying that deaths are continuously occurring in Indore, a city known as a “clean city,” due to the consumption of contaminated water. According to reports, 15 people have died so far.”
JSA said, “These continuous deaths highlight our systemic weaknesses and long-standing deficiencies, as well as the disregard for the serious revelations and recommendations made in the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report number 3/2019 regarding the water supply systems of Indore and Bhopal.”
As per JSA, the key findings of the report were –
- Between 2013 and 2018, 5.45 lakh cases of waterborne diseases were reported in these cities because 3.62 lakh families in Bhopal and 5.33 lakh families in Indore (a total of 8.95 lakh families) were not being supplied with clean drinking water.
During this period, 4,481 samples taken from these cities were found to be unfit for drinking. (India has set a target under the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to provide clean drinking water to all by 2030, which appears challenging given the current situation.)
- When complaints of leakage were received, these municipal corporations were taking 22 to 108 days to resolve them. (JSA asked how can people’s lives be saved in such a situation?)
- There was no system in place for the regular cleaning of overhead tanks.
- No water audit was conducted in Indore and Bhopal Municipal corporations. Therefore, the actual evaluation of the water supply system could not be determined.
- According to the report (page 12), the water loss in distribution compared to the total raw water supply was between 65% and 70%. This indicates a poor water supply management system in the IMC (Indore Municipal Corporation).
- According to Report No 2 page 32 of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) for the year ended March 31, 2021, as per clause 23 of the ‘Special Conditions’ of the agreement, water samples from each source should have been tested at the district/block laboratory at least once every 15 days after the trial run period began.
However, the audit found that water quality tests were not being conducted on time.
Due to the lack of mandatory periodic testing, the quality of water being supplied to households could not be ensured.
Amulya Nidhi, a member of the Jan Swasthya Abhiyan India, stated that ignoring the in-depth audits conducted by a crucial institution like the CAG on public health issues and the recommendations made to save lives is a serious crime.
“We have already paid the price for this negligence with the loss of 15 lives”, he added.
He said Jan Swasthya Abhiyan (JSA), Madhya Pradesh, wrote a letter to the union minister of Jal Shakti CR Patil, the minister of Public Health Engineering department, and the chief secretary of Madhya Pradesh, regarding the issue of contaminated drinking water supply in Indore city.
The letter demands the provision of clean drinking water to the people of the state and the country, and calls for improvements in the drinking water system across the entire country and state based on the revelations made in the CAG report.
The main demands made in the letter are:
- Ward-wise water quality testing by independent and accredited laboratories should be made mandatory annually in all cities of the state, including Indore, and the reports should be made public.
- The Pollution Control Board should monitor and test water quality at regular intervals.
- Water samples for testing should be collected from all water sources, public taps, and some selected households.
- According to the CAG report number 3/2019, 5.45 lakh cases of waterborne diseases were reported in these cities between 2013 and 2018. The Health Department has been negligent in addressing this issue for the past year. Release a detailed report on waterborne diseases in the state, separately for urban and rural areas.
- Since the piped water supply scheme is being implemented in rural areas, water testing should be made mandatory at the panchayat level every year.
- Provide a permanent supply of clean drinking water to 2.20 crores people in 23615 settlements affected by arsenic and fluoride contamination.
- Separate water supply pipelines and sewage lines throughout the state.
- The government should prepare and implement Indian public water standards.
- Develop a regular water quality monitoring and public information system at the ward level.
- Release the Madhya Pradesh Water Policy.
- Conduct water, air, and health audits in all cities and towns of the country.
- Provide compensation of ₹1 crore per deceased person to the families of the deceased.
- Publish a time-bound action plan to prevent the recurrence of such incidents in the future, including pipeline repair, sewage separation, and strengthening of the water treatment system.
Clean and safe drinking water, along with clean air and a pollution-free environment, is a fundamental right of citizens.
The letter has been signed by Amulya Nidhi, Vivek Pawar, Sudha Tiwari, Rajkumar Sinha, Dr GD Verma and Rahul Yadav.
