Indore: Ashika (17) wakes up at 6 am daily. Just 15 days ago, most of her time was spent studying for the boards. But now, her books have taken a backseat. Early morning, she walks to a relative’s house in a nearby lane and fetches water from a borewell. Not only is Indore’s water crisis taking lives, but it is also affecting the future of its children.
“My exams are in one month. I haven’t studied properly for the last few days. I got admitted to the hospital; I was on two to three IV bottles (intravenous therapy). But people in hospitals are dying, and it’s affecting me a lot. I can’t focus on my studies,” Ashika tells ThePrint.
The administration has blamed the contamination on a leakage in the main drinking water supply pipeline at a spot in the Bhagirathpura area where a toilet is located. Residents claim that 16 people have died after drinking the contaminated water.
Ashika Prajapati lives with her family in Bhagirathpura’s ‘peechhe wali gali’, where leaders arrive before elections, but facilities remain scarce.
When the water crisis first struck Bhagirathpura, with people dying after drinking the contaminated water, the authorities stopped the water supply. They sent tankers to the area, but those do not reach Bhagirathpura’s narrow lanes, where many families are clustered together.
Now, residents of these ‘galis’ go to other houses and fetch water daily. Or else, they buy bottles. Their lives revolve around arranging for water to drink, approaching the authorities to request a clean water supply, looking after those who have fallen ill, and mourning the loss of loved ones.
For children like Ashika, the situation leaves no time for studies.
The poor are hit the hardest
Ashika’s family comes from a background of financial struggles. While trying to make ends meet, they lost a 55-year-old relative living near them to the water crisis. The continuation of the crisis is only adding to the pressure on the family.
Ashika says that a few days ago, it was daily-wager Arun Prajapati’s mother who died after drinking contaminated water. Prajapati, like Ashika, now walks to their relatives’ to fetch water.
Arun tells ThePrint, “Our relative recently built a new house in a nearby lane with a borewell connection. We bring water from there to drink and for other work. No facilities come to our street; we have to do everything on our own.”
On Sunday morning, Collector Shivam Verma visited the area, drank from the water tanker to assure everyone it was safe, and promised water would be provided to all. The MP High Court has directed the government to ensure that all residents have access to clean water.
But Arun says, “Some hours ago, officials came and said water would be provided through a pipe to this street. We emptied all our utensils. The water, however, never arrived. We had to go again to our relatives’ house for water.”
The struggles of the families of Ashika and Arun reflect a broader crisis in Bhagirathpura, where contaminated water has left hundreds ill, with at least six of them confirmed dead, though the toll is disputed.
According to the administration, over 200 patients remain in hospitals, including 20 in the intensive care unit (ICU). Treatment is free for such patients in government and private hospitals. The authorities are continuing their door-to-door surveys and implementing emergency water supply measures.
So far, water tankers have not entered the narrow lanes, but authorities have claimed that sewage containment efforts are underway.
Households run on borrowed water
Sangeeta Gupta (37) carefully rations water for her children as well as relatives. Every utensil in her house is filled with water, and whenever the family manage, it gets some more. Ashika, her eldest child, does most of this work.
“I can say no to my kids, but I can’t say no to relatives. We make limited food, wash dishes carefully, and reuse clothes to save water,” says Sangeeta Prajapati, speaking to ThePrint.
The youngest member of Arun’s family—his nine-year-old son—went on a school picnic the same day his grandmother died. His last memory of her is that she dropped him off at school.
“I returned midway after she fell sick. I still can’t believe she’s gone. She was perfectly fine,” he says, wiping his tears.
For the last 10 days, no one in the two families has been able to work. With no steady income, they are using their savings and spending any government aid to arrange for a funeral for Arun’s mother. Their grocery list keeps growing as guests arrive to pay their condolences.
“Guests aren’t drinking water or tea from our house. We’re buying cold drinks to offer them because we have to offer something,” says Sangeeta.
Arun’s mother, Seema Prajapati, left a house that has become a landmark in the lane. People come to pay tributes, but no actual help is reaching the family.
“We received a cheque of Rs two lakh from the government, but no water. Leaders promised that boring would be done in the lane within a week, but it has been four days, and there’s no sign of it,” Arun rues.
It’s been nearly 10 days, and people from the area are still getting admitted to the hospital. The administration is working on the ground, but people continue to fall sick, with the same symptoms.
From Arun’s family, three members were admitted to the hospital over the last 10 days, and his mother, who was among them, passed away.
Most people in the street didn’t know about the situation until they saw the news, when complaints about diarrhoea started surfacing in their homes.
“We thought it was just the weather, but later we found out it was because we’ve been drinking sewage water. The government should have informed us sooner,” Sangeeta says.
In the low-income neighbourhood, most people are daily wagers. Busy with their work, they remained unaware of the situation for the longest time.
Seema Prajapati had pointed out in her last days that the water could be bad.
“She asked me to buy an RO (reverse osmosis) filter a few days ago. I promised her I would buy it, but it was too expensive. I was trying to arrange the money, but I have now lost her. I should have bought the RO,” Arun says.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
Build EWS apartment complex for Bhagirathpura residents.