NGT steps in after deadly water contamination in MP
After 15 people died and hundreds were hospitalized from sewage-contaminated drinking water in Indore's Bhagirathpura area, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has set up a six-member panel to investigate.
The move follows activist Kamal Kumar Rathi's petition raising alarm about high pollution levels in Bhopal ponds and leaking pipelines.
What's the plan now?
The expert committee—which includes a representative of the MP Pollution Control Board and an expert nominated by the director of IIT Indore, among others—has six weeks to report back.
Meanwhile, the NGT has ordered urgent fixes: mapping and repairing bad pipelines, cleaning tanks, making sure water is treated properly, and making rainwater harvesting mandatory in government and private buildings.
There are also new rules: All dairies with more than two animals within the city limits should be shifted out of the city within four months, immersion of idols in any drinking-water source is banned, water meters will be installed, and a plan with pre-determined conditions should be prepared for supply through tankers during a water crisis.
The government has given compensation to affected families as everyone waits for the next hearing on March 30.