Rahul Gandhi visits Indore, slams MP govt for failing to fix responsibility in water contamination deaths

INDORE: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday accused Madhya Pradesh govt of failing to fix responsibility for Bhagirathpura diarrhoea outbreak that led to 15 deaths said the “urban model of Smart City project” lacks basic services like clean water.“It used to be said that the country would get smart cities. This is the new model of a smart city. There is no drinking water here, and people are being intimidated,” Rahul told newpersons after meeting bereaved families from Bhagirathpura, who lost their loved ones to contaminated water supply. He also met patients at the Bombay Hospital.“Entire families … (fell ill) after drinking water. In Indore, you cannot get clean water; people drink water and die. This is the urban model, and it is not limited to Indore. It’s happening in many cities,” Rahul alleged.It is the govt’s responsibility to provide clean water and low pollution, but the government is not fulfilling these responsibilities, the leader of opposition in Lok Sabha added.“Someone must be responsible. There must be someone in the govt who is responsible for getting this work done. So the govt must take responsibility,” Rahul said.Rahul said people of the area need clean water. “This tank (supplying water to Bhagirathpura) is very basic, yet even today there is no clean water here.”“They have put a temporary arrangement in place, which will stay for a few days because of media attention — and the nation’s attention — is on this place right now. But the moment the attention shifts, the situation here will go back to being the same, with the same water,” he added.Alleging gross negligence, he said “the govt should fully support and compensate them.”Rahul’s visit had come under criticism with MP CM Mohan Yadav earlier accusing Congress of playing ‘politics over corpses’ and finding ‘opportunity in disaster’.Responding to the allegations, Rahul said, “Call it whatever you want — call it politics if you like. I do not care. I am standing here with them, and you must ensure that they get clean drinking water.”“I am the leader of the Opposition. People have died here. People are not getting clean drinking water. I have come to raise their issue and to help them. There is nothing wrong with that. Now it has become my responsibility – wherever people are not getting clean drinking water in the country, I would go there and help them and stand with them,” Rahul said.He denied that he was stopped from meeting the bereaved families.Rahul, who spoke to the kin of those dying in Bhagirathpura tragedy and handed over cheques of Rs 1lakh each to 24 bereaved families, said local Congress leaders.According to govt records, as many as 15 people had died due to diarrhoea and vomiting in Bhagirathpura since the outbreak was reported on Dec 29.Govt has given compensation of Rs2 lakh to 21 families residing in the locality, though the deaths of their kins were not directly attributed to the outbreak.