Judicial panel extends deadline in Indore water deaths probe to April 1

The earlier deadline was February 28, according to an official

A judicial commission probing the deaths of several persons due to contaminated drinking water in Indore has extended the deadline for submitting evidence, documents and other related material to April 1, officials said.

The earlier deadline was February 28, they added.

"In view of requests from several people, affected families and organisations for extension of the deadline, and to provide maximum factual material, the commission has decided to extend the period," an official said on Monday.

Interested individuals and organisations can now submit their objections, representations, documents or evidence before the commission till April 1, he said.

The single-member commission of former Madhya Pradesh High Court judge Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta is investigating the causes of drinking water contamination in the Bhagirathpura area, the loss of lives and medical impact on people, administrative lapses, action against those responsible and remedial measures.

Complaints related to drinking water contamination in Bhagirathpura, patients' medical records, death certificates, photographs and videos regarding leakage in drinking water pipelines and mixing of sewage, documents of tenders for water supply works, work orders and inspection reports can also be submitted to the commission, officials said.

There was an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea due to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura in the last week of December.

While residents and the Congress have claimed 36 persons died in the outbreak, the figure given by state health minister Rajendra Shukla in the assembly is 22.