Introduction

The recent deaths and large-scale illness in Bhagirathpura, Indore, caused by contaminated drinking water, exposed critical weaknesses in urban governance and public health systems. 

Over 66,000 people were screened, and the crisis necessitated judicial intervention by the Madhya Pradesh High Court, highlighting failures in preventive administration despite Indore’s image as a model city under Swachh Bharat rankings.

Key Stakeholders Involved

1. Urban Residents
   • Primary victims; poorest and densely populated localities most affected
2. Municipal Corporation (Indore)
   • Responsible for water supply, sewerage, and sanitation infrastructure
3. State Health Department
   • Disease surveillance, treatment, emergency response
4. Urban Primary Health Centres (UPHCs) & Private Clinics
   • First point of medical contact; many ill-equipped
5. Judiciary (MP High Court)
   • Ensured emergency relief through tanker water supply
6. State Government
   • Oversight, inter-departmental coordination, accountability
7. Frontline Health Workers
   • Screening, awareness, and crisis management at community level

Major Administrative & Systemic Lapses

1. Infrastructure Lapses

• Intermixing of sewage and drinking water pipelines
• Poor maintenance of underground utilities
• Absence of real-time water quality monitoring systems

2. Governance & Planning Failures

• Over-reliance on sanitation rankings rather than system audits
• Lack of preventive inspections and risk-based planning
• Weak coordination between municipal, water, and health authorities

3. Public Health Preparedness Gaps

• Urban Primary Health Centres overwhelmed by sudden patient surge
• Initial dependence on small, under-equipped private clinics
• Delay in outbreak detection and early warning mechanisms

4. Accountability Deficit

• No clear ownership of failure across departments
• Reactive response triggered only after public outrage and court action

Ethical & Constitutional Dimensions

• Article 21: Right to life includes access to safe drinking water
• Directive Principles: Duty of the State to improve public health
• Ethical breach of:
  • Public accountability
  • Responsiveness
  • Equity, as marginalised urban poor were most affected

Policy & Scheme Linkages (Value Addition)

• Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban) – ODF+ & ODF++: Focus on faecal sludge and wastewater management
• AMRUT 2.0: Urban water supply and sewerage infrastructure
• National Urban Health Mission (NUHM): Strengthening urban primary healthcare
• Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban): Safe and sustainable drinking water for all urban households

Way Forward

Immediate Measures

• Emergency chlorination and isolation of contaminated pipelines
• Continuous tanker supply and free medical treatment
• Transparent public communication and health advisories

Short to Medium-Term Measures

• Mandatory water–sewerage safety audits in urban local bodies
• GIS mapping and digitisation of underground utilities
• Strengthening UPHCs with surge capacity and disease surveillance tools
• Fixing accountability through departmental responsibility matrices

Long-Term Structural Reforms

• Integrated Urban Water Management (IUWM) approach
• Independent city-level water quality monitoring authorities
• Community-based monitoring and grievance redress mechanisms
• Shift sanitation policy focus from toilet construction to end-to-end waste and water safety

Conclusion

The Indore crisis demonstrates that urban cleanliness without infrastructure resilience is fragile. Safe drinking water is not merely a municipal service but a constitutional obligation and ethical responsibility. Sustainable urban governance demands preventive planning, institutional accountability, and health-system readiness rather than crisis-driven responses.