Bhind (Madhya Pradesh): Toxic chemicals released by several industries in the Malanpur area are causing severe water contamination of Vaisali river catchment area and posing serious health risk to over one lakh residents of Gohad.
Vaisali dam is the primary water source for the town. The water supplied from the dam is reported to be smelly and dirty, forcing over 80,000 people to purchase drinking water, while around 20,000 poorer residents rely on hand pumps.
Despite repeated complaints to local officials, the condition remains unaddressed. The municipal council has established a treatment plant intended to purify the dam's water, spending lakhs each month; however, due to alleged corruption, the water remains undrinkable.
Further compounding the issue, a laboratory set up by the irrigation department to test water quality has been locked for the past two years.
Initially constructed to serve a population of 35,000, the dam's capacity has not been expanded to accommodate the current population of one lakh, resulting in inadequate treatment.
With the summer season intensifying the crisis, conditions are expected to worsen as the water level in the dam continues to decline.
Municipal council president Manju Jagdish Mahor said, “Water is being supplied through tankers in the problem-hit area. The problem is arising due to chemical contamination from factories. The officials have been informed about this.”
