Despite being ranked India’s cleanest city for the eighth consecutive year, Indore is facing a major civic emergency after contaminated tap water led to a severe outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting in the Bhagirathpura locality. The incident has so far resulted in at least seven deaths and left more than 1,100 residents sick.
Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav said a leak was found in the main drinking water pipeline in Bhagirathpura. The pipeline reportedly ran beneath a toilet structure, raising the likelihood of sewage contamination. Officials explained that waste from the toilet was being drained into a pit located directly above the water line, and a loose pipeline joint may have allowed sewage to seep into the potable water supply.
Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava told PTI that 13 deaths were reported within a week after residents consumed contaminated water. Over the past several days, more than 1,100 people were affected, with at least 111 requiring hospital admission.
Madhya Pradesh Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya acknowledged administrative lapses and assured strict action against those responsible, regardless of their position. Bhagirathpura falls under the Indore-1 assembly constituency, which Vijayvargiya represents. While responding to queries, he said the immediate focus should be on ensuring patient recovery, but emphasised that no official involved would be spared.
Emergency measures were swiftly put in place, including the deployment of four ambulances and dedicated medical teams in the affected area. Separate wards were established at the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital and the private Shri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences. Private hospitals were also informed that the state government would bear the entire cost of treatment.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav visited hospitals in Indore and reviewed the situation during a high-level meeting, terming the outbreak an “emergency-like situation”. He said coordinated administrative action helped ensure timely medical care. According to him, around 40,000 residents were screened, with 2,456 suspected cases identified. Of the 212 hospitalised patients, 50 have been discharged after recovery, while 162 remain admitted and are mostly stable.
The Chief Minister announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh for the families of each deceased and ordered free treatment for all affected patients. He also warned that negligence would not be tolerated and directed officials to inspect drinking water and sewer lines across the city to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Meanwhile, IMC has started flushing the contaminated pipelines and is supplying safe drinking water through tankers. ASHA workers have been conducting door-to-door surveys to identify fresh cases.
As discrepancies emerged in the reported number of deaths and illnesses, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court directed the state government and the municipal corporation to compile accurate data and submit a detailed status report by January 2. The court also ordered the immediate provision of clean drinking water and the best possible medical care to those affected.
