MP minister cleans clogged drain, 3 civic staffers suspended

Three civic officials in Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh were suspended on Sunday after a video of state minister Pradyumn Singh Tomar entering a drain to clean it went viral on social media. The video shows MP Food and Civil Supplies Minister Tomar cleaning the drain while standing in waist-high water after residents of Birla Nagar repeatedly complained about the drain slush entering their homes.

"The women residents complained several times but when no civic staff responded, I entered the drain to clean it on Sunday morning. People are falling sick because of drain water entering their homes," Tomar said, adding that he would go out to more such areas to carry out cleaning works. He said his actions should not be considered a publicity stunt and claimed he wanted Gwalior to stand first in the national cleanliness (Swachh Bharat) ranking.

Gwalior Municipal Commissioner Sandip Makin suspended three officials of the civic health department posted in the area. "Action was taken immediately against officials responsible for the cleaning work in the ward (number 16) and three of them were suspended," Makin said.

He said the city produced around 600 tonnes of garbage every day. Gwalior ex-mayor and BJP MP Vivek Shejwalkar said Tomar should have called the civic staff to clean the drain rather than get down to do it himself..