18 families get aid amid confusion over Indore contamination deaths

“My father could have been saved if the administration had acted in time,” said 17-year-old Mehak Likhar, whose father, Arvind, died after allegedly consuming contaminated water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area.

- Shruti Tomar

The Likhar family is among 18 households in the area to receive ₹2 lakh each in compensation from the government.Arvind Likhar, a daily-wage labourer, died shortly after consuming the contaminated water. “That evening he returned home, began vomiting, and he died three days later,” said Mehak, a resident of Kulkarni Bhatta. “My father could have been saved if the administration had acted timely... he was infected after the outbreak but the administration kept denying his death. Now they gave a ₹2 lakh cheque. [am transferring ₹2 lakh in their account, will my father come back? They (officials responsible for contamination) should be sent to jail.”