A stepwell that slipped under the radar of authorities, warnings about illegal construction that were not heeded, and a temple trust that cited religious sentiments to skirt the rules – these are some of the factors that seem to have contributed to the Indore temple tragedy that left 36 dead. The Sunday Express has learnt that four years ago, the Indore Nagar Nigam (Indore municipal corporation) conducted a survey to ascertain the total number of wells in the city, but the one inside Bileshwar Mahadev Jhulelal temple, where people fell to their death, did not figure on the list. "Some 600 wells were found but this one was not on the list. However, our (Nagar Nigam) officials were aware of the well and had even told the temple trust to remove the roof over it, but they did not pay heed," said a senior official, requesting anonymity. Following Thursday’s incident, the Nagar Nigam is undertaking a fresh survey of all wells in the city and how many have been encroached upon. “We will demolish such structures and either restore the wells or fill them up, depending on the technical report,” the official said. Nagar Nigam officials also said there is no mention of the temple in the Indore Development Authority's (IDA) plan in 1985, while the IDA's maps show the well on land marked for a children's park. The official said,"The temple does not show in the IDA's map because it was not a proper temple. Many such small temples have come up in the city and the engineer back then would not have taken cognizance while designing the map." The temple came under scanner of authorities once the trust that runs it started constructing a larger temple using reinforced cement concrete (RCC) next to the original one. The municipality received complaints against the new construction, and a notice was served to the trust in April last year. In this notice, on April 23, 2022, the municipal corporation stated that construction had been carried out without permission, and land specified for a garden was being encroached upon. It also stated that prior warnings to stop construction had been ignored, and asked for a response within two days. But the illegal structure covering the well, on which people were standing when it gave way, did not find mention in the civic body’s notice. An official from the municipal corporation said: “The notice was pertaining to ongoing illegal construction. We did not mention the illegally built roof over the well because it was 20-25 years old as per our knowledge. At that time, some action may have been taken, but we cannot say for sure.” Following the notice, the temple trust replied to the municipal corporation, mentioning the structure over the well. The reply stated: “The reason cited in the notice is false and not acceptable. The temple is over 100 years old and in place before the garden. The restoration work is not going on the garden’s land. The temple is in tattered condition and is being restored. The bawdi (well) inside the temple is shut with a tin-shade over it. Many times, the municipality officials demanded that it be open. It is proposed that the well be restored and used to provide water for devotees. The work of restarting the well is underway. False information regarding revival of temple is being published in the notice, which is not only against the principles of Hindu dharma but also provokes the sentiments of Hindus. Due to this, peace of Hindus in the local area has been affected and there is fear among them, due to which there is a possibility of Hindu sentiments being provoked.” The reply also asked the municipal corporation to withdraw the notice and help the trust in the revival work. Another notice was served on January 31 this year. Unlike the previous one, the latest notice mentioned the reopening of the well, citing the previous reply given by the trust. The notice asked the trust to stop construction work and any renovation work like reopening of the well. Officials say they now plan to demolish the new RCC structure. An official also said that based on a technical report, a final decision will be taken if the well can be used to restore water, though most likely it will be filled up. Two officials, a building officer and a building inspector have been suspended for failing to take action. Two temple trustees have been booked under charges of culpable homicide not amounting to murder based on a complaint by Niraj Kumar Meda, in charge of Juni Indore police station. The FIR states that the two, Sevaram Galani, president of the trust, and secretary Murli Kumar Sabnani, had received a notice from the municipality in April 2022 but failed to take cognizance. “We are trying to trace the accused. We have written to the municipality to provide us with all the notices served to the temple based on which we will decide if there are more accused,” said Meda. Building officer P R Arolia and building inspector Prabhat Tiwari have been suspended by the Indore municipal corporation. Laxmikant Patel, 63, a former secretary of the temple trust, lost four family members in Thursday’s tragedy. Speaking to The Sunday Express, he claimed: “It’s the Nagar Nigam which, in the early 1980s, built the slab on the well, not local residents. Before that, the civic body had put iron grills to prevent suicides. The trust was formed just three years ago to save the temple from being demolished." Municipal Commissioner Pratibha Pal did not respond to calls and messages seeking a comment.
