Indore water contamination deaths rise to eight, officials suspended

The death toll linked to suspected water contamination in Indore has risen to eight, prompting the Madhya Pradesh government to take disciplinary action against three officials and order a detailed investigation into the incident.

The outbreak, centred in the Bhagirathpura area of the city, began after residents complained of an unusual taste and odour in municipal drinking water supplied on 25 December. Over the following days, dozens of people were hospitalised with severe illness, and eight have since died during treatment, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Taking cognisance of the tragedy, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered the suspension of two Indore Municipal Corporation officials, zonal officer Saligram Sitole and assistant engineer Yogesh Joshi, while Superintendent Engineer of the Public Health Engineering department, Shubham Srivastava, was removed from service with immediate effect.

Describing the incident as deeply distressing, the Chief Minister expressed condolences to the bereaved families and wished a speedy recovery to those still undergoing treatment.

He announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh for each family of the deceased and assured that the state government would bear the full cost of medical treatment for all affected patients, including reimbursement of expenses already incurred.

Local MLA and Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited hospitals to meet the affected families and reiterated that treatment would be provided free of cost. Health officials said several patients continue to remain under observation, though the condition of many has stabilised.

The incident has triggered sharp political reactions. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari, who visited hospitals on Tuesday evening, held the Indore Municipal Corporation responsible and demanded strict action against those accountable. He alleged that the episode pointed to a serious failure in civic administration and called for a criminal investigation.

The Indore district Congress unit is expected to file a police complaint against the municipal corporation and Mayor Pushyamitara Bhargava. Patwari said the nature of the illnesses suggested the possible presence of a toxic substance in the drinking water supply, an aspect that requires urgent and thorough investigation.

Authorities have initiated tests of water samples and are examining the city’s supply network to determine the source of contamination as concerns over the safety of Indore’s drinking water continue to grow.

With IANS inputs