The Madhya Pradesh government has taken its first major disciplinary action in the Indore contaminated water tragedy, removing the municipal commissioner and suspending a senior official. This comes as the death toll in the outbreak, which began affecting residents of Bhagirathpura on December 29, has reportedly climbed to ten. The crisis has struck a severe blow to the reputation of a city that has consistently been ranked as India's cleanest.
Administrative Shake-Up and Conflicting Death Toll
On Friday, the state government removed Indore Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav from his post. Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisoniya was suspended. Pradeep Nigam, the in-charge superintendent engineer of the IMC's water distribution department, was also removed. Following a meeting chaired by Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey, three new additional commissioners—Akash Prakhar Singh and Ashish Kumar Pathak—were posted to the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC).
However, there is a discrepancy in the official death count. While the state government, in a status report submitted to the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Friday, stated that only four deaths had been recorded, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava contradicted this. The mayor said he had received information about 10 deaths due to the diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura. Health department data officially acknowledges four fatalities.
Scale of the Health Crisis and Government Response
The health impact of the contamination is significant. According to the status report given to the High Court, 294 patients have been admitted for treatment. Of these, 93 have been discharged, but around 201 remain hospitalized, with 32 patients in intensive care units (ICUs).
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav addressed the situation on social media platform X, stating he had reviewed the action being taken. "We have taken the contaminated water case with utmost seriousness," he wrote. "We have taken action against those found guilty of negligence. There will be no compromise when it comes to health of the people." He assured that responsibility would be fixed and strict action ensured.
Ground Zero: Grief and Remedial Actions in Bhagirathpura
The human cost of the tragedy was felt deeply in Bhagirathpura. The residence of 68-year-old Geetabai Dhruvkar was in mourning after she succumbed on Friday morning. Her brother-in-law, Chandrashekhar Dhruvkar, explained that she was admitted with severe diarrhoea and vomiting, which eventually led to kidney failure.
In response, a flurry of activity was visible in the affected area:
- IMC workers cleaned streets and supplied water via tankers.
- Health workers conducted check-ups and distributed medicines.
- ASHA workers performed door-to-door surveys, paying special attention to children.
IMC vehicles made public announcements, instructing residents to avoid using tap water until the system was fully flushed, leaks plugged, and contamination tests completed. People were advised to use water from tankers and to boil all drinking water as a precautionary measure. The city famed for its cleanliness is now grappling with a severe public health emergency, prompting swift but somber administrative action.
