Indore Water Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to Eight, Three Officials Face Action

Madhya Pradesh, Dec 31 : The death toll in the suspected contaminated water tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore has climbed to eight, intensifying concerns over drinking water safety in the city’s Bhagirathpura area.

Several residents fell seriously ill over the past few days after allegedly consuming contaminated municipal water. Taking serious cognisance of the incident, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav late Tuesday ordered strict action against erring officials, suspending two municipal officers and removing a public health engineering official from service.

“Bhagirathpura incident in Indore is tragic. Zonal Officer Saligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi have been suspended. Superintendent Engineer of PHE Shubham Srivastava has been removed from service with immediate effect,” CM Yadav said in a statement.

Earlier, the Chief Minister expressed deep grief over the deaths, offering condolences to the bereaved families and wishing a speedy recovery to those undergoing treatment. He announced an ex gratia payment of ₹2 lakh to each affected family and assured that the state government would bear the full cost of medical treatment, including reimbursement of expenses already incurred.

According to officials, three people had died during treatment by Tuesday, while the toll rose to eight by Wednesday as more critically ill patients succumbed in different hospitals.

Local MLA and Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited hospitals late Monday night, met affected families and reiterated the government’s commitment to providing free and uninterrupted medical care.

The health crisis reportedly began after residents complained of an unusual taste and foul smell in the municipal water supply on December 25, triggering fears of serious contamination.

Meanwhile, political reactions have intensified. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari visited hospitals on Tuesday evening and blamed the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) for what he termed a “complete failure of governance.” He demanded strict accountability and announced plans to lodge an FIR against the IMC and Mayor Pushyamitara Bhargava.

“This is not a routine case of drainage water mixing with drinking pipelines. Vomiting or diarrhoea may occur in such cases, but deaths suggest the presence of a toxic substance. This needs a thorough investigation,” Patwari said.

Authorities have launched a detailed probe into the Indore contaminated water deaths, as public outrage grows over the tragic loss of lives and lapses in civic infrastructure.