Contaminated Water Behind Betul Skin Disease, Digvijaya Singh Confirms
Digvijaya Singh blames contaminated water for Betul outbreak
Senior Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh has blamed contaminated drinking water for a recent outbreak of skin diseases among children in Betul district and has demanded immediate action from the state government. In a statement on Friday, Singh alleged that unsafe water in the Danvakheda village of Ghodadongri block has triggered a cluster of skin ailments, including scabies‑like itching, along with fever, cold, and cough in several young residents.
Reports indicate that at least 20 children in Danvakheda have been affected, prompting the district administration to set up a medical camp for screening and treatment. The Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr Manoj Hurmade, confirmed that the issue came to light on March 15, after which a medical team was dispatched to the village to provide care to the affected individuals. However, Singh criticised the pace and depth of the response, pointing to complaints from villagers that safe drinking water has still not been assured.
Singh claimed that a similar skin‑disease outbreak in Danvakheda about six months earlier allegedly led to the deaths of some children, yet the authorities had failed to implement preventive measures or upgrade the water‑supply system. He said it is “unacceptable” that the administration did not act on past warnings, allowing the situation to recur and putting more children at risk.
The Rajya Sabha MP has called on the state government and the Betul district administration to immediately ensure clean drinking water for the village, inspect possible contamination sources such as pipelines and storage tanks, and rectify any faults. He also demanded that affected families, especially children, receive adequate medical care and that strict action be taken against officials found negligent in maintaining water quality and public‑health standards.
Digvijaya Singh’s remarks come amid a broader pattern of opposition criticism over water‑supply failures and water‑quality lapses in parts of Madhya Pradesh, including a separate controversy over contaminated water in Indore that also drew his demand for a judicial probe. The Betul episode has reignited concerns about rural drinking‑water infrastructure and the vulnerability of children to waterborne and water‑related infections when basic services are not maintained.
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