The Bhagirathpura area of Indore, Madhya Pradesh, faced a grim milestone as the death toll from a massive diarrhoea outbreak reached at least 10, the times of India reported.
More than 1,400 residents have been affected by contaminated drinking water, with over 200 people currently admitted across 27 hospitals. Laboratory tests conducted by a city-based medical college confirmed that the water supply was breached by sewage bacteria due to a leak in the main pipeline near a police outpost.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has termed the incident a “tragic failure” and ordered the immediate removal of several senior municipal officials, including the Additional Commissioner, as the National Human Rights Commission steps in to investigate.
Infrastructure Failure
Indore, consistently ranked as India’s cleanest city, is now grappling with a public health catastrophe that exposes a dark side of rapid urban development. The crisis began in late December 2025, when residents of Bhagirathpura started reporting symptoms of high fever, vomiting, and severe diarrhoea.
Local families had repeatedly complained to the Indore Municipal Corporation about foul-smelling, murky water for days, yet their warnings were ignored until the casualties began to mount.
The contamination was eventually traced back to a specific leakage point in a major supply line located beneath a recently constructed toilet at a police check post, allowing raw sewage to seep directly into the drinking water.
A Growing Toll
While official health department data initially verified four deaths, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava admitted that information regarding at least 10 fatalities has been received. Among the victims was a six-month-old infant who fell ill on December 26 and succumbed to high fever and dehydration by December 29.
Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani stated that while the report confirms bacterial presence, work is ongoing to identify the specific strain.
In a stern administrative crackdown, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has relieved the In-Charge Superintending Engineer of the Water Distribution Department and issued charge sheets to several others, stating that “corrective measures” will be reviewed across all 16 municipal corporations in the state.
Community In Fear
Despite municipal assurances and the deployment of water tankers, a deep-seated distrust remains among the residents of Bhagirathpura. Many families are now forced to buy bottled water for drinking, fearing that even the government-supplied tankers might be compromised.
“We no longer have trust in this system; this is destruction carried out in the name of development,” a local resident whose 15-year-old daughter is currently hospitalised told media outlets.
While Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has promised that “micro-checking” of the entire colony will be completed within 10 days, the delay in repairing the aging pipelines, reportedly stalled for months despite earlier tenders, highlights a systemic failure in prioritising citizen safety over administrative bureaucracy.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we believe that the title of “Cleanest City” becomes a hollow accolade when its citizens are forced to die from preventable water-borne diseases. Access to safe drinking water is not a luxury; it is a fundamental human right that must be safeguarded with more than just awards and optics.
This tragedy is a result of criminal negligence, where sewage-water intersections were allowed to persist despite clear warnings from the community.
We advocate for a complete, transparent audit of water infrastructure across all urban hubs and the implementation of real-time water quality monitoring. True development is measured by the health of the most vulnerable, not just the cleanliness of the streets.
News in Q&A
1. How did sewage enter the drinking water of India’s cleanest city? The contamination occurred due to a “criminal” design flaw where a main drinking water pipeline passed directly beneath a public toilet at a police outpost. A leak in the aging line allowed raw sewage from the toilet’s pit to mix with the water supply.
2. What is the actual death toll and the scale of the outbreak? While the health department officially records 4 deaths, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava and local residents have confirmed 10 fatalities. Over 1,400 people have been treated for vomiting and diarrhoea, with 32 patients still in critical condition in ICUs.
3. Why did the municipal authorities fail to prevent this? Negligence is the primary allegation. Residents had complained about dirty water for days, but no action was taken. Furthermore, a tender for a new pipeline had been pending since August 2025, but work remained stalled due to administrative apathy.
4. What action has been taken against the responsible officials? CM Mohan Yadav has removed Indore Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav and suspended Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisonia and In-charge Superintending Engineer Sanjeev Shrivastava. Show-cause notices have been issued to the entire top brass of the IMC.
5. Is the water in Indore safe to drink now? Authorities have replaced the contaminated water in the lines and repaired the leaks. However, a “boil water” advisory remains in effect for all Bhagirathpura residents as a precaution until further culture reports confirm the water is completely sterile.
