Indore, repeatedly crowned India's cleanest city, is confronting a devastating public health emergency. A severe outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting, traced to contaminated drinking water, has struck the Bhagirathpura area, resulting in at least seven fatalities and leaving more than 1,100 people ill.
The Source of the Contamination
Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav pinpointed the cause to a critical leakage in the main water supply pipeline. Shockingly, a toilet had been constructed directly above this pipeline. IMC officials elaborated that waste from this toilet was directed into a pit situated above the water line. A loose joint in the pipeline is suspected to have allowed sewage to seep into the potable water, leading to widespread contamination.
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed to PTI that the seven deaths occurred within a week of residents falling sick. The scale of the outbreak is significant, with officials reporting that over 1,100 people were affected in the past week, and 111 required hospitalisation.
Official Response and Accountability
Madhya Pradesh's Urban Development and Housing Minister, Kailash Vijayvargiya, who represents the Indore-1 constituency encompassing Bhagirathpura, acknowledged official lapses on Wednesday. He assured that action would be taken against those responsible, regardless of their seniority. "I feel that a mistake has been committed," Vijayvargiya stated, emphasizing initial focus on patient recovery before assigning blame, but firmly asserting that no involved official would be spared.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, who visited hospitals and chaired a high-level meeting, termed the situation an "emergency-like" scenario. He revealed that a massive screening operation in Bhagirathpura covered around 40,000 people, identifying 2,456 suspected cases. Of the 212 patients hospitalised, 50 have been discharged, while 162 remain under care, most in stable condition.
The state government will bear the full treatment cost for all patients, even those in private hospitals. CM Yadav announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the family of each deceased and ordered free treatment for all affected. He issued a stern warning, saying, "The state government will not tolerate any negligence. We are prepared to take the strictest possible action."
Emergency Measures and Judicial Scrutiny
Authorities have swung into action with a multi-pronged response. Four ambulances and dedicated medical teams were deployed in Bhagirathpura. Separate wards were established at Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital and Shri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences. The IMC has begun flushing the contaminated water pipelines and is supplying clean water via tankers. Additionally, ASHA workers are conducting door-to-door surveys to identify new cases.
As the administration worked to consolidate figures, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court intervened. On Wednesday, it directed the state government and the municipal corporation to collate all data and submit a detailed status report by January 2. The court also mandated the immediate supply of clean drinking water and the best possible medical care to the affected residents.
This tragic incident casts a stark shadow over Indore's hard-earned reputation for cleanliness, raising urgent questions about civic infrastructure maintenance and water safety protocols even in the nation's top-ranked cities.
