Indore Water Crisis: Audit Links Contaminated Supply to 15 Deaths

An audit report submitted to the Indore administration has linked at least 15 of the 21 deaths in Bhagirathpura to a recent outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea, sources said. The outbreak, caused by contaminated drinking water, has also left five new patients hospitalised, including eight in intensive care, according to Indore Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani.

The children and adults affected sought treatment at local outpatient departments, and 403 of the 436 admitted patients have since been discharged, Dr Hasani added. While the local administration has officially confirmed six deaths due to the outbreak, residents claim that as many as 23 people, including a six-month-old child, have died.

A committee of senior doctors from the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College was tasked with auditing the deaths in Bhagirathpura. 

“A committee of senior doctors from the college was formed to analyse the causes of the deaths in Bhagirathpura. This committee has submitted its report,” District Magistrate Shivam Verma said on Tuesday. He added that while some fatalities were likely linked to contaminated water, others were unrelated, and in some cases, the actual cause of death could not be conclusively determined.

The district administration has so far provided financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each to 18 affected families. “All the deaths in Bhagirathpura are very sad, regardless of the cause. We are consoling the affected families and providing them financial assistance,” Verma said.

Source of Contamination

Investigations revealed a preventable source of contamination: a public toilet constructed at a police outpost directly above a 30-year-old drinking water main. Without a proper septic tank, raw sewage drained into a pit, seeping into a leaking joint in the water pipeline and contaminating the municipal supply.

Laboratory tests confirmed the presence of multiple pathogens, including E. coli, Salmonella, and Vibrio cholerae. Experts say these pathogens can cause severe gastrointestinal illness, sepsis, and organ failure, particularly among children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals.

Human Toll 

While authorities acknowledge at least four deaths, independent reporting and local accounts suggest the toll may be significantly higher. Over a thousand residents were affected, overwhelming local healthcare facilities and exposing gaps in disease surveillance and emergency response. Residents had raised complaints about foul-smelling and discoloured water days before the outbreak escalated. Yet corrective action—including testing and emergency chlorination—began only after widespread illness had already occurred.

Expert On Water Safety

Dr Sunderajan Krishnan, a water-quality expert, told India Water Portal: “Communities often think ‘all is well’ because the water looks clear, but cross-contamination with sewage (or nitrates) is often invisible until it becomes fatal.” 

Krishnan added that treatment plants can meet regulatory standards while households still receive unsafe water: “Also, simply having a ‘tap connection’ does not mean security if the pipes run through sewage drains—a common sight in Indian urban clusters.”

Dr Sachin Tiwale, Fellow at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE), highlighted systemic challenges in urban water networks: “In cities with intermittent water supply, even small structural defects become major contamination points during non-supply hours, when pipes operate under negative pressure. Incidents such as Indore often trigger a renewed focus on technology-centric solutions, including residual chlorine sensors and network redesigns. While these tools can certainly play a role, they risk diverting attention from more fundamental questions of water quality governance, which are often the real weak link. We need a water quality governance framework. No level of technological sophistication can substitute for an institutionalised water quality governance framework. Crucially, these governance procedures are not capital-intensive, unlike technological interventions that are often promoted as quick-fix solutions.”

Administrative Actions

In response to the crisis, the Chief Minister ordered the removal of the Municipal Commissioner and the suspension of senior engineers for gross dereliction of duty. The National Human Rights Commission took suo motu cognisance, and judicial intervention ensured free medical treatment for affected residents. 

The outbreak in Bhagirathpura underscores the persistent vulnerabilities in urban water infrastructure and governance, highlighting the human cost of administrative lapses in even India’s “cleanest city”, according to activists.