Indore water contamination: Mayor says 10 deaths reported

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava on January 2, said he has received information about 10 deaths linked to a diarrhoea outbreak caused by contaminated drinking water in the city’s Bhagirathpura area, even as official health department figures confirm fewer fatalities.
“According to health department data, four people have died due to the diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura. However, I have received information about 10 deaths due to this outbreak,” Bhargava told PTI.
Local residents, however, have claimed that at least 14 people, including a six-month-old infant, have died amid the health crisis. The health department has not confirmed these claims so far.
When asked about a possible cholera outbreak based on preliminary test reports of drinking water samples, the mayor said that only the health department was authorised to provide details on the matter.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani said on Thursday that laboratory test reports from a city medical college confirmed contamination in the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura. According to him, the contamination was caused by a leakage in a pipeline. However, the CMHO did not disclose detailed findings of the report, and administrative officials have also refrained from sharing clear information.
Officials said a leakage was detected in the main drinking water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a location where a toilet has been constructed. They claimed the leakage led to sewage contamination of the water supply.
The outbreak has affected more than 1,400 people in the locality over the past nine days, with residents reporting symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. As of Thursday night, 272 patients had been admitted to hospitals in the area, of whom 71 have been discharged, a health department official said.
Currently, 201 patients remain hospitalised, including 32 who are undergoing treatment in intensive care units, the official added.