Contaminated Drinking Water in Madhya Pradesh: A Serious Public Health Concern

Overview of the Crisis

In Madhya Pradesh, alarming warnings about contaminated drinking water have been issued for years. Between 2013 and 2018, Bhopal and Indore recorded 5.45 lakh cases of water-borne diseases, raising concerns about public health long before recent tragedies occurred.

Audit Findings and Systemic Lapses

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2018, outlined systemic failures in monitoring and testing drinking water in urban areas. The findings indicated that municipal corporations (MCs) may have supplied contaminated water during this period.

Ground Reality Assessment

To verify these claims, the CAG conducted joint sampling in Bhopal and Indore from August to September 2018. The audit collected 54 water samples from various sources, including filters, overhead tanks, and consumer taps, which were independently tested at the State Research Laboratory, Bhopal.

Bhopal Findings

The results revealed that some samples in Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) areas exceeded the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) norms for turbidity. Additionally, faecal coliform, which should be non-existent, was detected in multiple samples.

Indore Findings

In Indore, faecal coliform counts ranged from 40 to 140, significantly above permissible limits. The auditor warned that approximately 8.95 lakh residents—3.62 lakh in Bhopal and 5.33 lakh in Indore—could be affected by contaminated water.

Continued Concerns in Recent Audits

The 2022 CAG audit report on local bodies raised alarms again, finding that seven out of 14 urban local bodies audited lacked water testing laboratories. It noted that tests were irregular and that civic bodies did not adhere to the minimum sampling frequencies outlined in the CPHEEO manual.

Urgent Calls for Action

Following the recent deaths in Indore, the NGO Jan Swastha Abhiyan has formally requested interventions from the MP chief secretary and the Union Jal Shakti ministry. They emphasized that previous warnings remained unaddressed and demanded immediate action to mitigate public health risks.

For more information on the implications of contaminated drinking water and ongoing public health efforts in Madhya Pradesh, stay tuned for updates.