98% of water samples collected from 29 wards of Indore contaminated: Patwari

Indore: Nearly 98 percent of 240 drinking water samples collected from 29 wards across Indore were found contaminated with harmful bacteria, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said on Friday alleging that the city continues to face a serious drinking water crisis months after the Bhagirathpura tragedy in which 36 people died.

Addressing a press conference, Patwari released what he described as a water status report of Indore and said the samples were collected from seven assembly segments covering densely populated localities, slum settlements, middle-class neighbourhoods, affluent areas and even govt hospitals.

“The country’s cleanest city is at risk of becoming one of its most contaminated when it comes to drinking water. We selected 29 wards representing all sections of society and got 240 water samples tested. The results show that 98 percent of the samples were contaminated,” Patwari said.

According to the report he cited, the samples contained E. coli, coliform bacteria and other contaminants above permissible limits. He alleged that several localities supplied through the Narmada water network showed signs of contamination and that residents in some areas were receiving sewage-mixed water.

“Even after 36 deaths in the Bhagirathpura incident, the Indore Municipal Corporation has failed to ensure safe drinking water for citizens. It is shocking that under a triple-engine govt, water reaching households in most parts of the city is not fit for consumption,” he alleged.

Questioning the state govt’s response to the Bhagirathpura incident, Patwari asked why authorities did not undertake a citywide testing exercise after the outbreak.

Patwari also demanded an audit of ageing water pipelines and sewer lines, alleging that deteriorating infrastructure was contributing to contamination. He alleged that nearly Rs 7,000 crore spent under the AMRUT scheme and drainage improvement projects had failed to deliver the intended results.

The Congress leader also expressed concern over the drying up of six lakes in the city, declining groundwater levels and increasing instances of borewells running dry.

Responding to the allegations, Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav questioned the methodology adopted by the Congress for the survey and said the findings did not reflect the city’s overall water supply system.

“The Congress has claimed that 90 percent of the city’s water is contaminated, but it is important to know whether samples were collected from 90 percent of the city’s areas before drawing such conclusions. Indore has consistently ranked among the cleanest cities in the country and has also received Water Plus certification. Making sweeping statements about the city’s water quality without a comprehensive scientific assessment can create unnecessary panic and damage the city’s image,” Bhargav said.