'If required, civil and criminal liabilities to be initiated against errant officials': MP HC on Indore water tragedy

Indore, Jan 6 The Madhya Pradesh High Court, on Tuesday, expressed serious concern over Indore water contamination tragedy that killed several people in the past two weeks and said that if required, "civil and criminal liabilities" would be decided against those officials found guilty in the matter.

Hearing the Public Interest Litigations (PIL) filed by different stakeholders in the matter, the division bench comprising of Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi noted that the court has taken a "very strict stance" on the "insensitivity" of the state government regarding the health crisis in Indore.

"The Court directed the Madhya Pradesh government to submit a fresh status report with clarity on number of deaths occurred due to consumption of contaminated water and also said that it is not the matter about Bhagirathpura area only but clean drinking water in entire Madhya Pradesh. Hence, the Chief Secretary has been asked to appear via video conferencing during the next hearing on January 15," Senior advocate Ritesh Inani, who filed the first PIL in the case, said after the court hearing on Tuesday.

Inani, who is also the Indore High Court Bar Association President, while talking to the media outside the court, said, "During the hearing, the court has clearly mentioned that if required in the future, civil and criminal liabilities would be decided against those officials found guilty in the matter."

He also added that the court has raised questions on the state government's status report which was submitted on January 2 and has directed the authorities to file a fresh report in the matter.

Meanwhile, the court also summoned Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anurag Jain to appear via video conferencing during the next hearing on January 15.

Senior advocate Ajay Bagadiya, who represented one of the three PIL in the case, during the hearing told that the court made serious allegation that "the state government sends newly appointed IAS officers to Indore, who treat the city as pasture and leave after taking their share".

After the lawyers representing the PILs demanded that the state government should make it clear about the number of causalities occurred due to consumption of contaminated water in Bhagirathpura area, the court expressed grave concern over the drinking water crisis in Indore, stressing that the issue of water contamination is a "matter of serious concern" that threatens the health of the entire city.

At least 38 fresh cases of vomiting and diarrhoea linked to contaminated drinking water were detected on Monday at the Bhagirathpura primary health centre in Indore, with a senior official citing the death toll so far to seven.

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