India’s cleanest city faces a crisis after a sewage leak pollutes drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura, killing 13 people, hospitalising hundreds, and triggering a High Court probe and official action.
New Delhi: At a time when Indore is struggling with a serious health crisis caused by contaminated drinking water, Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya sparked controversy by calling a journalist’s questions “ghanta” during a media interaction. The remark quickly drew strong criticism from the public and on social media. Hours later, the minister issued an apology. The episode has once again raised concerns about governance in Indore, a city widely known as India’s “cleanest city.”
The Water Contamination Tragedy
Indore, which has earned the title of India’s cleanest city for seven consecutive years and became the country’s first “Water Plus” city in 2021, now faces a tragic situation. In Bhagirathpura, a densely populated area, a damaged pipeline let sewage water mix with drinking water, causing severe illness among residents.
Officials report that at least seven people have died so far, while local families say the death toll is closer to 10. More than 162 people have gone to hospitals after drinking the polluted water.
Residents shared painful stories of loss and negligence. Seventy-year-old Nandlal Pal died after drinking the contaminated water. His son said local authorities told him to meet the MLA instead of providing direct help. Another resident, Sanjay Yadav, lost his mother and spent over Rs 40,000 on medical treatment, even though the administration promised free care. Seema Prajapati said her son Arun and others still live in fear. “No alternative drinking water has been provided. We have to walk long distances to get water from borewells,” he said.
The situation is especially troubling because Indore manages its wastewater carefully, reusing treated water for farming and keeping untreated sewage out of rivers. Yet, unsafe drinking water has claimed the lives of residents.
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The Controversial Interaction
The controversy grew when NDTV journalist Anurag Dwary questioned Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who also serves as the MLA from Indore-1. Dwary asked why authorities held only junior officials responsible while senior leaders, including Vijayvargiya and Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat, faced no action. He also challenged the government on why it had not reimbursed families for medical expenses despite official promises.
Visibly annoyed, Vijayvargiya replied, “Oh, leave it, don’t ask useless questions.” He also reportedly used the slang word “ghanta,” which roughly means worthless. Dwary recorded the interaction and shared it on X, where it quickly went viral and received more than 23,000 likes.
In the video, Dwary pushes back and asks how questions about deaths in the minister’s own constituency could be considered useless. Many social media users praised the journalist. One user wrote, “Hats off for standing up,” while another commented, “You revived journalism today.”
The Apology and Regret
A few hours later, Vijayvargiya posted an apology on X. He said that his team had been working non-stop for the past two days to improve the situation. He added that the suffering and deaths in his constituency had deeply affected him and that his words came out wrong while responding to the media.
“I express my regret,” he wrote, adding that he would not rest until the people of the affected area were safe and healthy.
Despite the apology, several users continued to criticize his behavior. One X user pointed out that the minister had earlier escaped consequences for similar remarks and called for stricter accountability.
Official Response and Investigations
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited Indore on December 31, 2025. He met patients affected by the contaminated water and held a review meeting with officials. The Chief Minister assured that such an incident would not happen again.
Authorities formed a three-member committee to investigate the matter. The government announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh for each victim’s family. In addition, officials suspended two engineers from the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department and removed one other from service.
However, many residents and critics say these steps do not go far enough. They question how such a serious failure could happen in a city that serves as a national model for cleanliness and urban management.
Reactions and Consequences
The incident has sparked a wider discussion on political responsibility and the role of the media. Some social media users pointed out what they see as double standards in how domestic and international issues are reported. Others praised the journalist for asking tough questions, calling it a rare example of fearless journalism at a time when leaders often face only soft questioning.
As authorities continue the investigation, the crisis highlights the urgent need for stronger urban infrastructure and better accountability. People in Bhagirathpura demand a simple solution — safe drinking water, justice for the victims, and assurance that such a tragedy will not happen again.
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