INDORE water woes has not only took lives of several residents but it has also taken a toll on an official as he has to face suspension. The Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Ujjain has been suspended after an official order issued by him, interpreting the remark by Kailash Vijay vargiya, Urban Development and Housing Minister, as a symbol of authoritarian and inhuman behaviour in connection with deaths linked to water contamination in Indore.

 

As per the information, SDM Anand Malviya had issued the order while outlining law-and-order arrangements ahead of Congress protests over the Indore water contamination case. However, the contents of the notice went beyond procedural instructions and included politically sensitive observations, reportedly. Although it was said that later the order was withdrawn and replaced, but the earlier version had already gone viral.

 

The order alleged that at least 14 people had died and around 2,800 others had fallen ill after consuming contaminated water supplied by the BJP-run municipal corporation in Indore. Referring to Vijay vargiya’s remarks on the issue, Malviya termed them ‘inhuman’ and reflective of ‘authoritarian behaviour,’ stating that the use of the word ‘ghanta’ in such a serious context was highly objectionable.

 

Acting of circulated order copy, Divisional Commissioner, Ujjain ordered suspension with effect from January 5 citing serious negligence and procedural lapses in handling a highly sensitive matter. As per the reports, Malviya later said that portions of the order had been omitted from a Congress WhatsApp group calling for protests and that although the health data cited came from official sources, errors were noticed soon after. The suspension followed a proposal from the Dewas Collector’s office, which flagged the order as both procedurally flawed and factually inaccurate.

 

The Commissioner noted that issuing such an order without due examination amounted to grave negligence and misconduct as per the State Civil Services rules. Malviya has been placed under suspension with immediate effect. During this period, his headquarters will remain at the Commissioner office in Ujjain Division, and he will receive subsistence allowance as per service rules. According to the suspension order issued, the directive was released without proper verification, despite information about the proposed protest having been received two days earlier.