India, Jan. 6 -- It is as shocking as it is tragic that contaminated water supplied by the Indore Municipal Corporation has claimed sixteen innocent lives, while more than 1,400 people continue to battle for survival. The water contamination tragedy in Indore's Bhagirathpura is neither a minor oversight nor the result of administrative laxity; it represents criminal negligence and a systemic failure at the highest levels. That such a catastrophe unfolded in a city branded as India's 'cleanest' makes it all the more disturbing. Indore's much-celebrated ranking now rings hollow against the grim reality of poisoned taps and overcrowded hospitals, raising serious questions about how cleanliness awards are conceived and conferred. What began a...