Indore: At least nine people have died and hundreds have fallen ill after contaminated drinking water triggered a severe diarrhoea outbreak in the city of Indore, officials said on Thursday.
The outbreak was reported from the Bhagirathpura area, where residents began complaining of vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration over the past few days. More than 200 people were hospitalised, while health teams said over a thousand residents showed symptoms during door to door screening.
Local authorities said preliminary investigations point to bacterial contamination caused by a leakage in a drinking water pipeline. Officials suspect sewage entered the water supply after a damaged pipeline passed close to a toilet structure, allowing polluted water to mix with drinking water.
Doctors at government hospitals said most patients responded well to treatment, but the elderly, children and those with existing health conditions were more vulnerable. Emergency medical camps were set up in the affected area, and additional doctors and nurses were deployed to manage the situation.
The Indore municipal corporation stopped water supply in the affected locality and began flushing and disinfecting pipelines. Clean drinking water was supplied through tankers, and chlorine tablets were distributed to residents as a temporary safety measure. Water samples have been sent for laboratory testing, and officials said supply would resume only after safety checks are completed.
The Madhya Pradesh government announced financial compensation for the families of those who died and said all medical expenses for affected patients would be covered. Senior officials also ordered a wider inspection of water pipelines across the city to prevent similar incidents.
The National Human Rights Commission has taken note of the deaths and sought a report from the state government, calling safe drinking water a basic right.
The incident has raised serious concerns as Indore has often been ranked among India’s cleanest cities. Residents have demanded strict action against those responsible and long term measures to ensure the safety of the city’s drinking water.