INDORE: Indore, long celebrated as India’s “cleanest city,” is reeling from a devastating public health crisis after contaminated drinking water triggered a massive diarrhoea outbreak in the Bhagirathpura area, killing more than 10 people including an infant and sickening thousands. Laboratory tests have now conclusively confirmed what residents had feared for weeks, sewage-contaminated water supplied by civic authorities was the cause of the tragedy.
Officials said the outbreak, which has affected over 1,400 people and hospitalised hundreds, was caused by leakage in a main drinking water pipeline, allowing sewage to seep into the supply. The leak was detected near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a spot where a toilet had reportedly been constructed directly over the pipeline without adequate safeguards.
Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani confirmed that laboratory analysis conducted by MGM Medical College found bacterial contamination in water samples collected from the area. According to officials, 26 out of more than 70 samples tested positive for contamination, though the exact bacteria are yet to be officially identified.
The human cost has been staggering. Over the past eight days, at least 272 patients were admitted to hospitals across Indore, with 201 still undergoing treatment and 32 in intensive care units. While the state health department has officially acknowledged four deaths, local reports and statements by Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava put the toll at 10 to 15. Victims include women, elderly residents, and a six-month-old baby.
The infant’s father, Sunil Sahu, said the child fell ill after consuming packaged milk mixed with tap water. “We never imagined the water was poisoned,” he said, describing how the baby deteriorated rapidly and died despite medical treatment. “Only later did people tell us the water was contaminated.”
Residents say the disaster was entirely preventable. Complaints about foul-smelling and dirty water in Bhagirathpura date back months. Official records show that at least 266 water-quality complaints were filed across Indore last year, with multiple warnings from Ward 11 the epicentre of the outbreak. By mid-December, residents were reporting that most of the ward had fallen ill with vomiting, diarrhoea, and dehydration.
Despite these warnings, corrective action was allegedly delayed. Sources revealed that a tender to replace the Bhagirathpura water pipeline was floated as early as August 2025, citing contamination risks. However, no substantial work was carried out until after people began dying. “This is not failure; this is abandonment,” a senior water department official told media on condition of anonymity.
Corporator Kamal Waghela alleged that files related to pipeline replacement were kept pending for nearly seven months despite repeated follow-ups. “This is grave criminal negligence that endangered public health,” he wrote in a letter to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, demanding accountability.
Officials from the Indore Municipal Corporation have denied inaction, claiming repairs were staggered and integrated with AMRUT 2.0 projects. However, the sequence of events has raised serious questions about governance, coordination, and accountability.
In response to mounting outrage, the Madhya Pradesh government has suspended three officials, including a PHE department sub-engineer, and constituted a three-member probe committee headed by IAS officer Navjeevan Panwar. The state has also promised a standard operating procedure to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited affected residents and assured strict action. Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey said the entire pipeline network in Bhagirathpura is being examined, clean water has been restored after inspection, and residents have been advised to boil water before use. Water tankers have been deployed, though locals say trust in the municipal supply has been shattered.
