Mysterious Stink Engulfs Nation's Cleanest City; Clueless Authorities Raise Indore Citizens' Concern

Bhopal: A mysterious foul smell has engulfed certain stretches of Indore since the last few weeks, with locals raising the issue at every possible platform but to no avail.

Senior politicians, including former Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Sports Minister Jitu Patwari, have also complained of the rancid smell in their areas.

But Mayor Malini Gaud and Indore Municipal Commissioner Ashish Singh have termed the odour-related complaints as mere rumours, following which they had to face the wrath of citizens on social media.

Indore has been adjudged the cleanest city in the country on three occasions and looks set to retain its title.

Fact-finding teams from the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board, and the reputed Holkar Science College have failed to ascertain the source of the problem. A team of experts from the college collected water and soil samples from different parts of the city, but is yet to reach a conclusion.

The study has, however, hinted that an old garbage dumping site now buried under the trenching ground in the Devguradia area could be the reason behind the odour.

The teams have suggested that an expert agency conduct an underground survey of the trenching ground, up to 10 feet, to unravel the possible cause. The study has also affirmed that the smell started emanating from western parts of the city and spread to other areas following a change in wind directions.

The civic body has pointed fingers at the chips and beverage units of Udyog Nagar and its nearby areas, claiming they dispose of their industrial waste in the open, leading to the foul smell. The MP Pollution Control Board is also carrying out an inquiry into the matter and has summoned a team of experts from Kerala.

However, locals have blamed the municipal corporation for the mess as the civic body has developed small trenching areas (dumping sites) across the city where the garbage collected by corporation vehicles is dumped to produce compost, fuelling the stink.

As the stench has started to raise concerns of spread of diseases, Health Minister Tulsi Silawat, who also hails from Indore, said his team is on high alert. “I have instructed officers to keep drains clean and also clear waterlogged empty plots,” he said.

Meanwhile, advocate Vishal Sanothia has moved the Indore bench of the MP High Court seeking its intervention in the matter. The stink could lead to serious health hazards, the petitioner has said in his public interest litigation.