Indore, May 26 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee on Tuesday claimed that over 90 per cent of drinking water samples in Indore, the country’s cleanest city, which had witnessed an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea in Bhagirathpura earlier, were found contaminated according to a study.
The local administration, however, questioned the authenticity of the study, saying the opposition party was trying to scare the public by spreading misinformation about the quality of drinking water.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari, during a protest here over the water crisis, said that following the drinking water tragedy in Bhagirathpura, the party collected around 300 water samples from various locations in the city through an agency.
Without sharing specific details of the test results, he said, “Over 90 per cent of these samples have been found to be toxic (contaminated). The detailed investigation report will be made public in three days.” Patwari dared the city mayor, Pushyamitra Bhargava, who is a lawyer, to approach the court against this report.
“If the mayor has any humanity or self-respect left, he should resign right now,” the Congress leader said.
Patwari attacked the ruling BJP over the water crisis, saying that the party, which is in power from the municipal corporation to the state and Central government, is making people of Indore crave every drop of water.
Taking a swipe at Patwari, Mayor Bhargava accused the Congress of fear-mongering by spreading confusion about the quality of drinking water.
“I challenge the state Congress president to debate with me on a public platform regarding the city’s water management system,” he said.
Local residents and the Congress party had claimed 36 deaths in Bhagirathpura due to an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water.
However, amid uproar in the Assembly during a discussion on the issue on February 19, state Health Minister Rajendra Shukla stated that 22 people had died due to contaminated water and that compensation of Rs 2 lakh had been given to the families of each deceased.
A one-member commission headed by Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, a former judge of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, is investigating the fatalities linked to contaminated drinking water.
The High Court has directed the commission to submit its final report by June 14. PTI HWP MAS NSK
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