Daijiworld Media Network - Bhopal
Bhopal, Dec 30: A political controversy has erupted in Madhya Pradesh after the Congress accused the BJP-led state government of using artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images to secure a national water conservation award for Khandwa district. The district administration, however, has categorically denied the allegations, calling them “baseless and misleading”.
The issue surfaced after Khandwa district secured first place at the national level under the Centre’s Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari campaign and received a Rs 2 crore cash award at the sixth National Water Awards ceremony held in New Delhi in November. The district’s Kaveshwar gram panchayat also won the second prize in the best gram panchayat category.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari alleged that the district administration submitted AI-generated images to falsely project development works related to water conservation.
In a post on X, Patwari accused the BJP government of “resorting to corruption using AI”, claiming that shallow pits were portrayed as wells through fabricated visuals and uploaded on official portals. “Based on these images, an award was taken from the Honourable President,” he alleged.
“When the ground reality was checked, only empty land and fields were found. This is not water conservation, but manipulation through technology-created images,” Patwari claimed, adding that corruption under the BJP rule has taken a “new, smart form”.
Responding to the allegations, the Khandwa district administration held a press conference and rejected the claims.
District Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Nagarjun B Gowda said that AI-generated images had no role in the selection process for the National Water Awards. He stated that photographs of 1,29,046 verified water conservation works carried out under the Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari campaign were uploaded on the official portal after proper scrutiny.
He said the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti verified the data and conducted random physical inspections of one per cent of the works before finalising the awards.
“Some social media accounts are spreading false information regarding water conservation works in Khandwa district,” Gowda said.
The CEO clarified that a separate platform, the Catch the Rain portal, is used only for educational and motivational purposes. “The district administration has found that 21 AI-generated images were uploaded on the Catch the Rain portal, possibly with malicious intent. Action is being initiated against those responsible,” he added.
He further stressed that the Catch the Rain portal is completely independent of the Jal Sanchay, Jan Bhagidari campaign and that awards were not decided based on images uploaded there.
According to officials, more than 1.25 lakh water conservation works were implemented in Khandwa district under the campaign — the highest number recorded in the country.