A simple, everyday choice—to drink from a packaged bottle or tap water—ended up marking the tragic difference between life and death for a family in Indore. Hours after Jyoti Bhuse boarded a bus back to Aurangabad on the night of December 29, her 74-year-old mother, Manjula Vade, fell critically ill. The cause was acute diarrhoea contracted from contaminated drinking water supplied to their area in Bhagirathpura. She did not survive.
A Fateful Habit and a Fatal Sip
Jyoti Bhuse, a practising tax consultant, had arrived in Indore two days earlier to visit her elderly parents and meet her two married sisters. As is her habit, she carried her own packaged drinking water. "I have a habit of carrying a water bottle," Bhuse stated. "That day too, I drank only from the packaged water I brought." Her mother, however, did not.
The family shared dinner together on December 29 in their modest two-room house, measuring roughly 10 by 20 feet. Later that night, Bhuse left for the bus stand. She spoke to her mother around 10:30 PM from the bus. Within hours, Manjula Vade was struck by severe illness, which swiftly proved fatal due to the waterborne infection.
A Family Shattered, A Father Alone
The aftermath has left the family devastated. Digambar Vade, 79, now sits alone in the home he shared with his wife for decades. "She used to take care of everything," he said mournfully. "Now I am on my own." The couple's five daughters rushed to Indore following their mother's death, managing medical formalities, rituals, and expenses.
They express deep concern for their vulnerable father. "This happened because of a failure in the system," one daughter asserted. "Our father is old and left alone. The government must take responsibility for his care." Digambar Vade mentioned that any compensation announced by the authorities would largely be spent on cremation and final rites. "Whatever remains, I will use for my health," he added.
A Stark Reminder of India's Water Safety Crisis
For Jyoti Bhuse, the contrast is stark and haunting. "The same water that took my mother's life could have taken mine too," she reflected. "That bottle saved me." Her statement underscores a grim reality for many Indians, where access to clean water is not a guarantee.
In response to reports of contamination and illness, civic teams in Bhagirathpura began cleaning lanes and inspecting pipelines. However, for the Vade family, this action comes too late. The crisis has already left an irreversible mark, serving as a painful reminder that safe drinking water, often taken for granted, remains a critical determinant of survival in many parts of the country.
