Following massive public outrage over the supply of contaminated Narmada river water to households in a locality of Indore — the country’s cleanest city — and the reported ninth death due to diarrhoea on Wednesday, the BJP-led state government has suspended two officials and terminated another.
Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav ordered strict action against the erring officials. Acting on his directions, the administration suspended zonal officer Shaligram Sitole and assistant engineer Yogesh Joshi, while Public Health Engineering (PHE) in-charge sub-engineer Shubham Shrivastava was removed from service with immediate effect.
A three-member inquiry committee, headed by IAS officer Navjeevan Pawar, has also been constituted to fix responsibility in the matter.
Sources said a five-month-old baby boy, Avyan Sahu, succumbed on Wednesday, taking the reported death toll to nine. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava, however, officially confirmed seven deaths so far.
Meanwhile, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday directed the state government to provide free treatment to people suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea after consuming contaminated water in the city.
The court also sought a status report within two days on the contaminated drinking water issue in the country’s cleanest city.
A vacation bench comprising Justices Rajesh Kumar Gupta and B P Sharma passed the directions while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Indore High Court Bar Association president Ritesh Inani, directing the government to submit its report by January 2, 2026.
The opposition Congress also launched a sharp attack on the BJP-led state government over the tragedy. Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari visited various hospitals in Indore and met the affected patients. He demanded that Chief Minister Yadav fix responsibility and take stringent action against those responsible.
“There is massive corruption in the water supply system. This is not just contaminated water; it is poisonous water,” Patwari alleged.
Officials said more than 1,100 people have been affected by vomiting and diarrhoea in the Bhagirathpura area over the past week, of whom around 150 have been hospitalised.