NGT Flags Alarming Drinking Water Contamination Across Madhya Pradesh, Issues State-Wide Directions To Prevent Public Health Crisis

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Central Zone Bench, Bhopal, has taken serious note of systemic contamination of potable drinking water supplied to urban populations across Madhya Pradesh, observing that the issue raises substantial questions relating to environment and public health with grave constitutional implications.Justice Sheo Kumar Singh and Executive Member Ishwar Singh said, "The gravity of the issue is compounded by the lack of continuous water quality monitoring, inadequate maintenance of overhead tanks and sump wells, and failure to adopt preventive surveillance measures, despite clear guidance provided under national technical manuals issued by the Government of India."The Central Public Health And Environmental Engineering Organization Manual on Water Supply and Treatment Systems explicitly recognises that contamination frequently occurs within distribution networks and storage infrastructure and mandates preventive monitoring and regular maintenance, which have not been effectively implemented, the bench added.The Tribunal was hearing two applications highlighting repeated incidents of mass illness and loss of life caused by consumption of contaminated drinking water, exposing deep-rooted failures in water supply infrastructure, sewerage management, monitoring mechanisms and regulatory oversight across the State.The Tribunal noted that despite drinking water being sourced from surface water bodies such as rivers, reservoirs and dams, repeated assessments have revealed the presence of pathogenic contaminants including faecal coliform, E. coli, Vibrio species and protozoa even in treated water supplied for human consumption.Such contamination, the Tribunal observed, clearly indicates sewage intrusion into potable water distribution systems, attributable to persistent infrastructural failures, poor maintenance and non-compliance with public health engineering norms.The Bench highlighted that in several urban centres, drinking water pipelines and sewerage lines are laid dangerously close to each other, often intersecting or running parallel, with water pipelines sometimes placed below sewer lines. Intermittent water supply systems further aggravate the problem by creating negative pressure, allowing contaminated water to seep into drinking water pipelines.The Tribunal also flagged the lack of continuous water quality monitoring, poor maintenance of overhead tanks and sump wells, and failure to implement preventive surveillance measures, despite clear guidelines under the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) Manual on Water Supply and Treatment Systems.It further noted violations of statutory obligations under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, particularly Sections 31, 42 and 43, owing to delayed disclosure of contamination incidents and continued supply of unsafe water.Referring to national data, the Tribunal observed that nearly 2 lakh deaths occur annually in India due to consumption of contaminated drinking water, while projections indicate that by 2030, water demand may nearly double available supply, potentially causing severe economic and public health consequences.Indore Water Contamination IncidentIn another plea, the Tribunal examined a grave incident in Indore where, in December 2025, residents of the Bhagirathpura area were supplied severely contaminated municipal water, resulting in a large-scale outbreak of water-borne diseases. The incident led to mass hospitalisation, multiple fatalities including infants and elderly persons, and laboratory confirmation of Vibrio cholerae, faecal coliform and E. coli in drinking water.The Tribunal observed that the incident was caused by ageing and poorly maintained pipelines, unsafe alignment of water and sewer lines, and prolonged administrative inaction despite repeated complaints. It further noted that similar contamination risks exist in cities including Bhopal, Khargone, Ujjain, Gwalior, Rewa and Satna, indicating a State-wide public health threat.The Bench also took note of a news report dated 14.01.2026 highlighting contamination of all five major ponds supplying water to Bhopal, where faecal coliform levels were found to be far beyond permissible limits, affecting water supplied to over five lakh residents.Holding that contamination of drinking water violates the Water Act, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution, the Tribunal issued extensive State-wide directions, including:Development of a 24x7 consumer-facing mobile application for water supply complaints and monitoring.Elimination of transmission losses by repairing leaks and replacing pipelines.Removal of encroachments around water bodies and prevention of illegal infiltration.Regulation of construction activities during summer months and ward-wise water supply planning.Regeneration and protection of water sources such as wells and bawrisImplementation of...

NGT Flags Alarming Drinking Water Contamination Across Madhya Pradesh, Issues State-Wide Directions To Prevent Public Health Crisis

Aiman J. Chishti

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