Hundreds of people falling ill and several deaths linked to contaminated drinking water across multiple states have once again raised serious concerns over the safety of municipal water supply systems in India.
According to a written reply in the Rajya Sabha on March 9, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu informed that incidents of drinking water contamination were reported in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, where hundreds of residents were hospitalised due to waterborne diseases.
One of the most severe outbreaks occurred in Bhagirathpura in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where a diarrhoeal outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water led to 22 deaths and 459 hospitalisations in December last year. Health authorities reported widespread symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea in the locality, with investigations pointing towards contamination in the water distribution network.
In Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, cases of gastroenteritis and diarrhoea were reported in several wards of the municipal corporation in early 2026. The outbreak resulted in 224 hospitalisations and two deaths, after which district authorities initiated emergency measures including water testing, sanitation drives and medical surveillance.
In Gandhinagar, Gujarat, a localised typhoid outbreak affected 258 residents, all of whom required hospitalisation. While no deaths were reported, the incident highlighted vulnerabilities in urban water infrastructure.
Other parts of Gujarat have also seen similar cases. In Balasinor, 506 people have been hospitalised since October 2025 due to contamination caused by leakages in ageing drinking water pipelines and drainage networks. Meanwhile, in Vadodara, 436 residents fell ill after contaminated water entered the municipal supply system.
Contamination concerns were also reported in the National Capital Region. In sectors Delta-1 and Alpha-2 of Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh, complaints of foul-smelling and contaminated water were traced to leakages in water connections, which were later repaired by local authorities.
Similarly, in a private residential colony in Sector 70-70A of Gurugram, Haryana, contamination complaints reported in December last year were eventually linked to unclean household storage tanks rather than the municipal supply. Authorities directed residents to clean the tanks, after which the issue was resolved.
Public health experts say that such outbreaks often occur due to leakages in ageing pipelines, cross-contamination between sewage and drinking water lines, poor maintenance of storage tanks, and delayed detection of contamination. These failures allow pathogens that cause diseases such as typhoid, diarrhoea and gastroenteritis to enter the water supply.
Waterborne diseases remain one of India’s persistent public health challenges. Experts warn that unless cities strengthen pipeline monitoring, water testing systems and sanitation infrastructure, similar outbreaks could continue to threaten communities, raising the critical question of whether safe drinking water a basic necessity is still coming at the cost of people’s health and lives.