India, Jan. 4 -- India's repeated winner of the "cleanest city" award, Indore, is currently facing a grave contaminated water crisis. Hundreds of people have fallen ill and several have died after sewage-mixed water was supplied through household taps. Large numbers of residents were hospitalised with severe symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, fever and stomach pain. Thousands have been affected, including children, the elderly and entire families.

This is not merely a local health emergency in Indore, but a warning for the entire country about water quality, water management and the strength of civic safety systems. From Delhi to Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana and Punjab, polluted drinking water remains a seri...