Jasan, Agra. On May 20, 1993, at 11 am, Indra Devi was having breakfast with her husband Kailash Chand and all four children. Everyone was talking and laughing with each other. The condition started deteriorating shortly after the family members drank water after breakfast. Foam started coming out of the mouth and vomiting started.
Seven year old son Jogendra fainted in front of their eyes, everything was happening in front of Indra Devi's eyes. Due to her own condition worsening, she found herself unable to help the children. All six members of the family were admitted to the hospital. When the condition of the family including Indra Devi improved, they regained consciousness, but seven year old son Jogendra slept forever.
As soon as Indra Devi talked about the Khatikpada water tragedy, the past 33 years were reduced to a single moment in her eyes. The scene of death flashed before her eyes. She never forgets that fateful morning, when polluted water took away her seven-year-old son Jogendra. The son who was having breakfast in front of my eyes had become a victim of contaminated water.
Indra Devi tells that there was fear of death in the entire colony. People were leaving with a towel or handkerchief tied over their mouth due to the fear of inhaling poison. All the family members, including him, were devastated by the death of his son. There is hardly any house left in the colony from where the sound of crying is not coming.
The people of the colony, who always stood by each other's happiness and sorrow, were hit by such a mountain of sorrow that they were unable to muster the courage to console their own people. The condition of all the families was the same. Someone's son had lost his life while someone's husband, father or brother had lost his life due to contaminated water.
Indra Devi says that the limit was reached when the officials reached the colony to give a compensation of Rs 10,000 to the relatives of those who died in the water tragedy. In the eyes of the authorities, the value of the lives of those who died was only Rs 10,000. The people of the colony, including Indra Devi, who had lost her son, lost their temper after seeing the compensation amount. Indra Devi had thrown the compensation amount in front of the officials.
Told the officials that instead of giving it to them, put it in water and get the tank cleaned. So that people do not have to lose their son like any other mother by drinking contaminated water. The officials who came to give compensation had no answer to Indra Devi's words.
She says that the condition of most of the people who lost their loved ones was similar to hers. At that time her husband Kailash Chand used to sell vegetables in Rawatpada. Presently her husband is an agent in Sikandra Mandi. The pain of losing Jogendra is still visible on the faces of the family.