‘Cleanest city’ tag shaken as Indore turns to bottled water after contamination deaths

The water contamination tragedy in Indore, the commercial capital of Madhya Pradesh and India’s cleanest city for nearly a decade, has triggered widespread fear among residents, with many abandoning municipal tap water and turning to bottled supplies — a shift that has hit low- and middle-income families the hardest.

According to officials, at least six people have died and over 200 were hospitalised following an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea linked to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura, a densely populated locality with a large low-income population. Unofficial estimates by residents put the death toll higher, ranging between 10 and 16, including a six-month-old child.

“Yes, we are now scared of drinking water from municipal taps. We need proof that the water is clean, only then will we drink it,” Sunita, a resident of Marathi Mohalla, told PTI. “My family is currently buying drinking water jars from the market, paying between Rs 20 and Rs 30 per jar.”

Residents say concerns over water quality are not new. Sunita alleged that “dirty water” had been flowing from taps for the past two to three years, but repeated complaints went unheard. “For a long time, we have been adding alum and boiling water before drinking,” she said.

The crisis has shaken confidence even in daily routines. Tea stall owners in the area said they are now using bottled water to prepare beverages to reassure customers, though prices have not been raised. “People ask first if bottled water is being used,” said tea vendor Tushar Verma.

The district administration has launched an intensive awareness drive to contain the outbreak. District Magistrate Shivam Verma said an information, education and communication (IEC) campaign is underway in Bhagirathpura through non-governmental organisation workers. “Residents are being advised to boil water for at least 15 minutes and to use only drinking water currently supplied through municipal tankers,” he said.

Chlorination of municipal pipelines and tube wells has also begun. Health experts say chlorination remains one of the most effective methods to kill bacteria and viruses responsible for water-borne diseases.

Indore draws its drinking water from the Narmada, supplied through pipelines from Jalud in Khargone district, about 80 km away. The city receives tap water on alternate days.

Taking administrative action, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered the transfer of municipal commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav and the suspension of additional municipal commissioner Rohit Sissoniya and Public Health Engineering official Sanjeev Shrivastava.

In a status report submitted to the High Court, the state government said the diarrhoeal outbreak caused by contaminated water is now under effective control, with round-the-clock monitoring in place to prevent any resurgence.

With PTI inputs