MP High Court Fixes January 6 Hearing on Bhagirathpura Contaminated Water Crisis After Govt Files Status Report

The Madhya Pradesh government on Friday submitted a status report to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court regarding the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura area that led to several deaths and illnesses.

The court has fixed January 6 for a detailed hearing on the report, Indore High Court Bar Association President Ritesh Inani informed reporters.

The matter was taken up by a vacation bench from Jabalpur via video conferencing on Friday. "The state government and the Indore Municipal Corporation presented their responses during today's hearing. Since the government had recently filed a detailed status report, the court decided to examine it thoroughly on January 6. The report includes information on the number of fatalities, patients in critical condition in ICUs, and those still hospitalised," Inani said.

He emphasised the core demands of the petitioners: ensuring clean drinking water supply to every resident of Indore and holding accountable those responsible for the tragedy. "We want strict action against the officials involved so that such a grave incident never recurs in the city. Punishment for the guilty is essential to prevent future negligence," Inani added.

Three separate petitions, including a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), have been filed on the issue and are likely to be heard together on January 6 by the regular bench.

Inani had moved the PIL before the Indore bench on December 31, demanding uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water to all citizens of Indore and free, adequate medical treatment for everyone affected by the contamination. A division bench heard the PIL on the same day and directed the state government to submit relevant data in the next hearing, which took place on Friday.

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