Indore Water Contamination: Death Toll Rises to Eight; Authorities Confirm 3

Indore: The death toll in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore has risen to eight after contaminated drinking water supplied by the municipal corporation triggered severe illness in the Bhagirathpura area. The victims suffered acute vomiting and diarrhoea and were undergoing treatment at various hospitals before succumbing.

Local residents said eight people, including six women, died within a week after consuming polluted water. The health department has so far officially confirmed three deaths — Nandlal Pal (70), Urmila Yadav (60) and Tara Kori (65).

The contamination has affected a large number of residents in the locality. Around 150 people reportedly developed health complications after drinking the water, with about 60 of them in serious condition and undergoing treatment at different hospitals in the city.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav announced financial assistance of two lakh rupees each to the families of the deceased and said the state government would bear the entire cost of treatment for all those affected. Following the incident, a zonal officer of the municipal corporation and an assistant engineer in Bhagirathpura were suspended with immediate effect, while the services of an in-charge sub-engineer were terminated.

A three-member committee headed by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has been constituted to probe the incident and fix responsibility.

Municipal Commissioner Dileep Kumar Yadav said a leakage was detected in the main water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura, above which a toilet had been constructed, allowing sewage to mix with the drinking water supply.

The incident has triggered protests against civic authorities, with allegations of negligence being raised against the municipal corporation. The outrage has been sharper as the tragedy unfolded in Indore, which has been ranked the cleanest city in India for eight consecutive years under the Centre’s Swachh Survekshan scheme. In the same survey, Uttar Pradesh was named the cleanest state.