Indore: The Cleanest City That Can’t Even Afford Clean Water

Indore woke up to a tragedy it never imagined. In Bhagirathpura, one of the city’s densely populated area, sewage water mixed with the drinking Narmada water pipeline, turning tap water into a serious health hazard.

What it began as complaints of foul smell and dirty water soon escalated into a public health crisis. Several residents fell critically ill, many were hospitalised, and reports of deaths linked to contaminated water shook the entire nation. This was not just a technical failure. This was a human tragedy.

The Irony of the “Cleanest City” :

For years, Indore has been India’s cleanest city. Seven times crowned, showcased as a national model and projected as an example of urban/public excellence.

Yet, in Bhagirathpura, residents could not even rely on something as basic as safe drinking water.

A clean city image collapses within moment as the water coming out from tap was contaminated.

Indore’s political landscape reflects overwhelming continuity. Since 1989, the city has consistently elected BJPs Member of Parliament; the Mayor and all nine Assembly constituencies are currently held by BJP. In practical terms, effective opposition pressure is 0. This mandate was built on public trust so that stability would deliver efficient governance.

The contamination did not appear overnight. Reports of bad smell and unsafe water suggest early warnings that should have triggered intervention. Instead, visible action followed after the situation turned critical, raising questions about monitoring, maintenance and accountability.

This is not just an incident; it is a reckoning. A city’s success is not defined by awards but by how it protects people in everyday essentials like drinking water. Indore’s crisis demands accountability, oversight, and preparedness, because when basic governance fails, the citizens pay the price of it.

Why the System’s Response Failed ?

Slow and Limited Initial Response

After the Bhagirathpura water contamination crisis was reported, the first official action focused mostly on transferring some officers and announcing inspections. While officials visited the affected site and statements were made, many residents felt that real corrective action was slow and unclear. Even as complaints about unsafe water had been made months earlier, decisive steps only came after people die.

One of the biggest issues has been a lack of clear communication about responsibility. Government briefings and replies in High court have shown different death figures and delayed information. According to official records, cheque of ₹2 lakh were given to families of 18 people linked to the crisis, even though the state earlier told the High Court that eight deaths were confirmed. This confusion weakened public trust.

Recent lab reports have found faecal coliform bacteria in groundwater samples, and further tests are underway to check for harmful strains like E. coli. This confirms that the contamination was not sudden but a serious public health threat ignored by administration.

When the BJP Controls the Entire Ecosystem:

BJP’s Complete Control Over Indore

In Indore, the Bharatiya Janata Party controls almost everything. For decades, Indore has elected BJP MPs. The Mayor is from BJP. All nine Assembly constituencies are held by BJP MLAs. Most local bodies are also under BJP control. This means BJP alone runs the political and administrative ecosystem of the city.

There is no confusion here: power and responsibility both under-control of BJP.

No Opposition Means No Pressure on BJP

Opposition parties in Indore are almost absent. This gives BJP it's full freedom, but it also removes pressure.

When there is no strong opposition:

• No one regularly questions failures

• No one forces urgent action

• No one challenges officials

As a result, BJP governance in Indore operates without fear of political consequences.

The water contamination did not happen in one day. Complaints about bad smell and dirty water came earlier. But under BJP’s uninterrupted rule, these warnings were not treated as emergencies.

Action became visible only after people fell sick and deaths were reported.

This shows a clear pattern: Under BJP’s comfortable control, the system reacts late instead of acting early.

Under BJP rule, Indore’s “cleanest city” tag was promoted aggressively. Awards were celebrated, PR was strong and success stories were highlighted.

But the water crisis exposed the truth:

• Image was protected

• Infrastructure was neglected

BJP focused more on maintaining reputation than maintaining systems.

Why BJP Cannot Escape Responsibility

BJP cannot shift blame to officers alone. BJP cannot blame opposition. BJP cannot blame the past.

When one party controls:

• the government

• the municipality

• the administration

then every failure becomes that party’s responsibility. The Indore water tragedy is not a shared failure.

It is a BJP governance failure.

Civic Negligence and the Cost of Silence:

The Problem Is Bigger Than Politics

The water crisis in Indore shows that some problems go beyond political parties. Along with leadership failure, there is also a system habit that accepts delay, ignores early warnings, and reacts only after damage is done.

Over the years, people have learned to adjust.

Bad water? → Boil it.

Low pressure? → Store water.

Smell in water? → Wait for tomorrow.

This culture of adjustment slowly became normal. When citizens adjust instead of demanding fixes, the system also becomes lazy.

When silence follows a crisis, the system learns a dangerous lesson that people will eventually forget. This creates a cycle:

problem → crisis → noise → silence → repeat.

Civic Responsibility Is Daily, Not Occasional

Civic responsibility is not about protests only. It is about:

• asking for timelines

• demanding inspection reports

• checking whether promises were kept

Without this, even a good system becomes careless.

When Arrogance Replaces Accountability:

After the water contamination tragedy, Indore needed calm leadership, clear answers and respect for public concern. Instead, what people witnessed was arrogance at the top.

Kailash Vijayvargiya: Dismissing Accountability

When a journalist of reputed media house, asked about deaths and responsibility, Kailash Vijayvargiya reacted angrily. He dismissed a question with the word “ghanta”, implying it was useless. This was not a private comment; it was a public response during a public health crisis.

This mattered because:

• The question was about lives lost, not politics

• A senior minister represents government responsibility, not personal ego

• Dismissing questions weakens public trust

An apology came later, but the moment revealed a mindset where power expects silence.

Akash Vijayvargiya: Authority Without Position:

Soon after, Akash Vijayvargiya, son of Kailash Vijayvargiya, also appeared before the media.

Here a basic question arises:

Who authorized him to answer on behalf of the government? He held no official role in the administration handling the crisis at that time. Yet, he responded to media queries and avoided direct answers.

This creates a dangerous impression that power is inherited, not accountable.

Citizens have the right to ask:

• Are official answers coming from institutions, or from family members of powerful leaders?

Akash Vijayvargiya is not a new name in controversy. Years ago, he was publicly seen on video assaulting a municipal officer with a bat, an incident that shocked. That inciddent already raised questions about respect for institutions and rule of law.

Seen together with his recent media conduct, a pattern appears:

• Disregard for authority when it doesn’t suit

• Confidence without accountability

• Visibility without responsibility

Power Is Not a Family Asset

Government authority does not pass from father to son. Public accountability does not work on lineage.

During a tragedy:

• Only designated officials should speak

• Answers should be clear, factual and respectful

• Media questions should be welcomed, not mocked

Anything else shows contempt for democratic process.

Editor’s Note

The views expressed are of the Editor-in-Chief, Bhavya Trivedi.

This series began with a tragedy and ends with a question, a question about power nd responsibility. Indore’s water crisis was not only a failure of pipes or systems. It was a failure of leadership, response and attitude.

Clean cities are not built by awards. They are built by accountability nd accountability begins when leaders listen, not when they dismiss.

Indore deserves answers.

And its people deserve better.

                                                                                                                                                                                   ---DKBwBHAVYA MEDIA NETWORK