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Indore Water Contamination: 142 Hospitalised, 20 Fresh Diarrhoea Cases Detected
A diarrhoea outbreak triggered by contaminated drinking water in Indore has left 142 people hospitalised, including 11 in intensive care units, while 20 new cases were detected during a large-scale health screening in Bhagirathpura, the epicentre of the crisis.
Health officials said teams screened 9,416 residents across 2,354 households in Bhagirathpura on Sunday and identified 20 fresh cases. The locality has so far reported six confirmed deaths due to contaminated water.
According to the administration, a total of 398 patients were admitted to hospitals following the outbreak. Of these, 256 have recovered and been discharged, while 142 remain under treatment. Officials claimed the situation is now under control.
According to the administration, a total of 398 patients were admitted to hospitals following the outbreak. Of these, 256 have recovered and been discharged, while 142 remain under treatment. Officials claimed the situation is now under control.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Haasani said a team from the Kolkata-based National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (NIRBI) has reached Indore to investigate the outbreak and provide technical assistance to contain it.
The administration has officially confirmed six deaths. However, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava earlier claimed the toll was 10, while local residents alleged that at least 16 people, including a six-month-old infant, died due to the outbreak.
The incident has triggered political outrage, with the Congress staging bell-ringing protests across Madhya Pradesh. The protests followed controversial remarks made by senior BJP minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who reportedly used the word “ghanta” while responding to media queries on the crisis on December 31.
The incident has triggered political outrage, with the Congress staging bell-ringing protests across Madhya Pradesh. The protests followed controversial remarks made by senior BJP minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who reportedly used the word “ghanta” while responding to media queries on the crisis on December 31.
The Congress demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths and sought Vijayvargiya’s removal from the Urban Development and Housing portfolios, stating that Bhagirathpura falls under his Indore-1 assembly constituency. State Congress president Jitu Patwari warned of statewide agitation from January 11 if corrective measures were not taken.
Patwari also demanded the registration of culpable homicide cases against Mayor Bhargava and concerned civic officials. He alleged that residents had been complaining for nearly eight months about contaminated water from municipal taps, but authorities failed to act. He further claimed that even water supplied through municipal tankers was unsafe.
Meanwhile, a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in neighbouring Dewas was suspended for alleged negligence after reportedly reproducing portions of a Congress memorandum in an official order related to law and order arrangements during protests. Ujjain division revenue commissioner Ashish Singh ordered the suspension, citing serious lapses in official conduct.
Water conservationist and Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh termed the incident a “system-created disaster,” blaming corruption and faulty infrastructure. Popularly known as the “Waterman of India,” Singh expressed concern that such a tragedy occurred in Indore, which has repeatedly been ranked as the country’s cleanest city.
“If this can happen in India’s cleanest city, it highlights the alarming condition of drinking water systems elsewhere,” Singh said. He alleged that contractors often lay drinking water pipelines dangerously close to sewage lines to cut costs, leading to contamination.
Government officials acknowledged that sewage overflow entered water pipelines, triggering severe cases of vomiting and diarrhoea. Singh also flagged the steady decline in Indore’s groundwater levels, warning that long-term dependence on external water sources like the Narmada River is unsustainable.
