Indore water contamination claims another life, sole breadwinner rickshaw driver dies

A 50-year-old e-rickshaw driver died in Indore after suffering from diarrhoea, with his family alleging that contaminated drinking water in the Bhagirathpura area led to his illness and death, officials said on Wednesday.

The deceased, Hemant Gaikwad, was undergoing treatment at a private hospital and died on Tuesday night after around 15 days of illness, his family said. As his funeral procession left his residence in Bhagirathpura on Wednesday morning, relatives and neighbours gathered to console his mother, wife and four daughters.

While local residents have claimed that the outbreak has claimed as many as 25 lives so far, a status report submitted by the Madhya Pradesh government to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on 15 January mentioned seven deaths, including that of a five-month-old boy.

Hemant’s younger brother Sanjay Gaikwad told PTI that his brother’s condition deteriorated rapidly. “My brother died due to contaminated water. We lost him after just 15 days of illness. He was admitted to a private hospital and later shifted to another when his condition worsened,” he said.

Sanjay said Hemant was an e-rickshaw driver and the sole breadwinner of the family, adding that the family’s financial condition was weak. He urged the state government to provide assistance and demanded action against those responsible for the contamination.

“The people of Bhagirathpura have been facing the problem of contaminated water for the past two years. Despite repeated complaints to the municipal corporation, the issue was not resolved,” he alleged.

Hemant’s daughter Riya said her father developed severe diarrhoea after consuming contaminated water. “We admitted him to a private hospital, but when his condition worsened, he was taken to another hospital where he died,” she said.

Officials said the outbreak of illnesses linked to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura began late last month. Tests conducted by civic authorities found contamination in 51 tube wells in the area, with the presence of E. coli bacteria detected.

They added that a leakage in a municipal drinking water pipeline had led to sewage from a toilet mixing with the supply, aggravating the situation.

Amid conflicting claims over the number of deaths, a ‘death audit’ report prepared by a committee from the city’s Government Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College has indicated that the deaths of 15 persons in Bhagirathpura may be linked to the outbreak.