Eight Die In Indore After Allegedly Consuming Contaminated Drinking Water

At least eight people have lost their lives in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore after allegedly consuming contaminated drinking water in the Bhagirathpura area of the city, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Health authorities reported over the past few days that contaminated municipal water allegedly made a large number of residents seriously ill. The situation triggered widespread alarm.

Taking swift cognisance of the incident, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered strict action against officials responsible for water supply and public health management.

Late on Tuesday night, the state government suspended two municipal corporation officials and immediately removed a senior public health engineering officer from service.

“Bhagirathpura incident in Indore is tragic. Zonal officer Saligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi were suspended. Superintendent Engineer of PHE Shubham Srivastava has been removed from his service with immediate effect,” CM Mohan Yadav said in a statement.

Earlier, the Chief Minister expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy through social media, paying tributes to those who lost their lives and wishing a speedy recovery to the affected patients.

Additionally, he announced an ex gratia compensation of ₹2 lakh for each bereaved family. He assured that the state government would bear the full cost of treatment for all patients, including reimbursement of any prior medical expenses.

Officials initially reported three deaths during treatment at different hospitals till Tuesday.

Subsequently, the number of fatalities rose sharply to eight by Wednesday, according to an official update.

Meanwhile, local MLA and Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited hospitals late on Monday night, met affected families and reiterated the government’s commitment to providing free medical treatment.

Complaints of Foul-Smelling Water Raised Earlier

Reports suggest the outbreak began after residents complained of an unusual taste and foul smell in the municipal water supply on December 25, raising serious questions about water quality and monitoring mechanisms.

Separately, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari visited hospitals on Tuesday evening and blamed the Indore Municipal Commissioner for the incident, demanding strict action against those responsible.

Furthermore, the Indore district Congress unit is likely to lodge an FIR against the Indore Municipal Corporation and Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava later in the day.

Speaking to the media, Patwari said the incident reflected a complete failure of the municipal system. He claimed that the nature of the deaths suggested the possibility of a poisonous substance entering the drinking water pipeline.

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