Digvijaya Singh seeks probe into Raisen tribal girls' drowning, blames Nal-Jal lapses
Synopsis
Three tribal girls aged 12-13 drowned in a Raisen well while fetching water — in a village where Nal-Jal Yojana has been ‘operational on paper' since 2022. Digvijaya Singh has now asked CM Mohan Yadav to order a high-level probe and a statewide audit of tap water schemes, turning a local tragedy into a direct test of Jal Jeevan Mission's on-ground claims.
Key Takeaways
Digvijaya Singh wrote to MP CM Mohan Yadav seeking a high-level probe into the drowning of three tribal girls in Raisen .
The girls — Radha (12) , Tanu (13) and Amrita Gond (12) — drowned on 23 May in a well in Gairatganj tehsil .
Singh alleged the Nal-Jal Yojana in Sagaur has been shown operational on paper since 2022 , even as villagers fetch water from wells.
He demanded accountability for officials, financial aid to families, and a statewide review of drinking water schemes.
Police said one girl slipped into the well and two others drowned trying to save her; a fourth girl alerted the village.
Senior Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh on Wednesday wrote to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, demanding a high-level inquiry into the drowning of three minor tribal girls in Raisen district and terming the deaths a ‘grave example of administrative negligence'. The tragedy, which occurred on 23 May in a tribal-dominated village under Gairatganj tehsil, has reignited the debate over the on-ground delivery of rural drinking water schemes in the state.
What happened in Gairatganj
Three girls — Radha Gond (12), Tanu Gond (13) and Amrita Gond (12) — drowned in a well roughly one kilometre from their village while fetching water, part of their daily routine. According to police, one of the girls slipped into the deep well, and the other two jumped in to save her. A fourth girl, Amina, who was with them, ran back to alert families.
What Digvijaya Singh told the CM
In his letter to the Chief Minister, Singh said the incident exposed the collapse of the drinking water supply system in remote tribal pockets. He cited a delegation led by Prabhat Chawla, Leader of the Opposition in Raisen Municipality, which informed him that the Nal-Jal Yojana in Sagaur has reportedly been shown as operational on paper since 2022, even as villagers continue to search for water.
‘This is not merely an accident, but a direct consequence of administrative apathy,' Singh said, adding that the drinking water crisis has assumed ‘grave proportions' across many remote rural areas of Raisen district.
Demands placed before the state government
Singh urged the Mohan Yadav government to fix accountability on officials and employees found at fault and to initiate strict disciplinary action. He also pressed for adequate financial assistance and support to the bereaved tribal families.
‘This heart-wrenching incident exposes the prevailing drinking water crisis in the region and the stark reality of tap water schemes on the ground,' Singh said, calling for a statewide review of tap water schemes and drinking water supply systems to prevent recurrence.
Why this matters
The Jal Jeevan Mission, of which Nal-Jal Yojana is the state-level arm, is among the Centre's flagship rural water programmes, with completion claims in several states under scrutiny. Villagers in Sagaur, however, said the situation worsens each summer — a contradiction the Opposition is now weaponising. This is at least the second high-profile incident in recent months where tribal residents in Madhya Pradesh have flagged a gap between official water-supply data and lived reality.
What's next
The Chief Minister's office is yet to formally respond to Singh's letter. A district-level inquiry into the Gairatganj deaths is reportedly underway, with pressure mounting for an independent audit of Nal-Jal connections shown as functional in Raisen.
Point of View
The gap is not implementation lag but data integrity. Singh's demand for a statewide audit is politically loaded but substantively unavoidable; the bigger question is whether the Mohan Yadav government will allow third-party verification of Nal-Jal connections, or settle for a departmental inquiry that closes the file.
NationPress
19 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Digvijaya Singh demand from the MP Chief Minister?
Digvijaya Singh wrote to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav demanding a high-level inquiry into the drowning of three tribal girls in Raisen district. He sought accountability for officials, financial assistance to the bereaved families, and a statewide review of tap water schemes.
How did the three tribal girls drown in Raisen?
The three girls — Radha Gond, Tanu Gond and Amrita Gond — drowned on 23 May in a well roughly one kilometre from their village in Gairatganj tehsil. According to police, one girl slipped into the deep well and the other two drowned while trying to rescue her.
What is the issue with the Nal-Jal Yojana in Sagaur?
Digvijaya Singh, citing a delegation led by Raisen Municipality LoP Prabhat Chawla, alleged that the Nal-Jal Yojana in Sagaur has reportedly been shown as operational on paper since 2022, even though villagers continue to fetch water from distant wells.
Why is this incident politically significant?
It directly challenges the Madhya Pradesh government's claims on rural drinking water coverage under the Jal Jeevan Mission framework. The Congress is using the Gairatganj deaths to push for an independent audit of tap water connections marked as functional across the state.
