Contaminated Water Supply: Cleanest City's Curse 'Ganda, Ganda Paani'

Thousands of residents in several localities in the city like Azad Nagar area, Musakhedi, Bypass Scheme 94, Madina Nagar, Dusri Pulia, Sampat Hills, Cloth Market, Khajrana and many other areas are forced to consume contaminated water being supplied through taps by Indore Municipal Corporation as sewage water gets mixed with tap water line.

Indore (Madhya Pradesh)

Case 1:

Ameena Bi, a resident of Madina Nagar, struggles every day to get potable water, thanks to seepage of drainage water in water supply lines of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC).

Her ordeal is in stark contrast to Indore’s meticulously maintained streets and vibrant neighbourhoods where cleanliness reigns supreme. She is one of hundreds of residents in the vicinity who spends more than two hours of their day to get the basic amenity.

Case 2:

Nilesh Verma, a resident of Sampat Hills, gets up every morning with anxiety to arrange drinking water for him and his family. It’s his daily routine to call the water tanker as the water supply in his township gets contaminated with sewage water. Nilesh and other residents have lodged multiple complaints with the IMC but to no avail.

Amid looming water crisis in summer months, struggles of Ameena and NIlesh are examples of the ordeal faced by thousands of residents in several localities in the city who do not have access to potable water. It also reflects the murkier side of the cleanest city of the country—Indore.

Major reason of their woes includes contaminated water being supplied through taps by Indore Municipal Corporation as sewage water gets mixed with tap water line.

A number of complaints were lodged by residents from different parts of the city including colonies in Azad Nagar area, Musakhedi and Bypass. Residents even alleged that they are facing the same issue for more than 10 years in Madina Nagar, but all fell in deaf ears. Irked by the same, the former leader of opposition in IMC and Congress corporator Fozia Sheikh Alim had to file a public interest litigation (PIL) to get the issue resolved.

She alleged that 80 per cent of people in these areas do not get potable water even after living in the centre of the cleanest city of the country.

Congress corporator knocks HC doors

Irked by the negligence of IMC, former IMC LoP and Congress corporator Fozia Sheikh Alim knocked the doors of the High Court. She filed a public interest litigation (PIL) mentioning the ordeal of people not only in Madina Nagar but in Azad Nagar colonies.

Several colonies affected

Azad Nagar, Scheme 94, Madina Nagar, Dusri Pulia, Sampat Hills, Cloth Market, Khajrana, Musakhedi, colonies at Bypass, colonies in Sukhliya and others. Cases of acute diarrheal disease (ADD) were found in Subhash Nagar and Clerk Colony area in July 2023 where residents complained of water contamination. Sample testing reports also confirmed the presence of bacteria causing cholera.

What They Say

Potable water is a challenge

‘We face a major challenge of getting potable water as the water supplied in our area is contaminated. We get water supply from bore well, but the sewage water gets mixed with the bore well.’

Reshma Bi

Resident, Madina Nagar

Children falling ill

‘Summer brings water woes for us as we face acute water shortage due to sewage water contamination. Children fall ill but authorities turn deaf ear.’

Devesh Gupta

Resident, Sampat Hills

IMC finds water samples ‘unsafe’

IMC had flagged its own water being supplied to hundreds of households in Azad Nagar area and tagged them ‘Not Safe for Drinking’. Five samples of water were collected by Congress corporator Fozia Sheikh Alim in May-June, last year, from different water sources in Azad Nagar area and got it tested from IMC laboratory. Shockingly, the samples were found unsafe for drinking.

Prepared action plan, teams working on it

‘We received some complaints about water contamination, a couple of days ago. It might be due to old supply lines. We have prepared an action plan and our teams are working on it to get the complaints resolved.’

- Shivam Verma, Commissioner IMC

Thousands don’t have access to potable water

‘Thousands of people in Azad Nagar and many other areas of the city don’t have access to potable water. I have lodged multiple complaints but in vain after which I had to file a PIL.’

-Fozia Sheikh Alim, Congress Corporator