Indore water contamination: 142 patients in hospitals; 20 new diarrhoea cases detected

Indore: A diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water has left 142 people admitted to hospitals in Indore, including 11 in ICUs, while screening in Bhagirathpura — the epicentre of the crisis — has identified 20 new cases.

Health teams have surveyed 9,416 residents across 2,354 households in the area, where six people have died so far due to contaminated water, officials said on Sunday.

In total, 398 people have been hospitalised since the outbreak began. Of these, 256 have been discharged after recovery, while 142 remain under treatment, with 11 in ICU, reported PTI. Officials said the situation is currently under control.

Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Haasani said experts from the National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections (NIRBI), Kolkata, have reached Indore to investigate and support containment efforts.

Authorities have officially confirmed six deaths. However, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava earlier said the toll was 10, while local residents claim that 16 people — including a six-month-old infant — have died.

Congress protest against minister Kailash Vijayvargiya
Amid the water contamination row, the Congress staged bell-ringing protests across Madhya Pradesh demanding the resignation of minister Kailash Vijayvargiya over his use of the word “ghanta” when questioned by reporters about the situation.The remark, made on December 31, triggered a controversy.

Congress leaders sought a judicial probe and removal of Vijayvargiya, whose constituency includes Bhagirathpura. State Congress chief Jitu Patwari warned of an agitation from January 11 if corrective measures are not taken, and demanded culpable homicide charges against the Indore Mayor and civic officials.

Patwari alleged that residents had been complaining about contaminated tap water for eight months and claimed even tanker water being supplied now is unsafe.

Meanwhile, a sub-divisional magistrate in nearby Dewas was suspended for quoting a Congress memorandum and the minister’s remark in an official order related to law-and-order arrangements during a protest. Officials termed it a serious negligence.

System created disaster
Water conservationist and Magsaysay Award winner Rajendra Singh called the tragedy a “system-created disaster,” blaming corruption and pointing out the irony that it occurred in a city repeatedly ranked India’s cleanest.

He warned that if such a crisis can happen in Indore, the situation in other cities may be far worse. Officials acknowledged that sewage overflow entered the water pipeline network, triggering severe diarrhoea and vomiting cases.

Singh said cost-cutting practices — such as laying water pipelines close to drainage lines — and falling groundwater levels have worsened risks. He recalled raising concerns about Indore’s dependence on Narmada water as far back as 1992.