Indore water contamination: Lab report confirms pipeline leak; HC to hear case today

Laboratory tests have pointed to contaminated drinking water as the cause of the health crisis reported from Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, with officials expected to place a detailed status report before the High Court later today.

The findings come from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College, which had been asked to analyse water samples after a spate of illnesses and deaths was reported in the locality.

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Also Read: Indore contaminated water tragedy leaves families shattered: Many dead, hundreds ill, answers still missing

What the lab report says so far

Confirming the submission of the report on Thursday, Indore Chief Health and Medical Officer Dr Madhav Hasani said the tests showed contamination in the water supply.

“The medical college’s test report has revealed that the water supply was contaminated due to leakage in the pipeline in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area. However, the exact level of contamination and what precisely caused the deaths are yet to be ascertained,” Dr Hasani said on Thursday.

Officials said further clarity is expected once the state government places its status report before the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court.

Health response and patient numbers

According to the health department, a large-scale medical screening drive was carried out on Thursday. Over 8,500 people, covering more than 1,700 households, were examined in the affected area.

Dr Hasani said 338 fresh patients were identified during the exercise and were given primary treatment at home.

“Overall, 272 patients were admitted to various hospitals. Of them, 72 have been discharged till January 1. At present, 201 patients remain hospitalised, including 32 who are undergoing treatment in intensive care units,” he said.

High Court hearing and casualty count

The matter is now under judicial scrutiny. On Wednesday, a division bench of Justice Rajesh Kumar Gupta and Justice BP Sharma, hearing a public interest litigation linked to the incident, directed the state government and the Indore Municipal Corporation to submit a detailed status report by January 2.

There is still no clarity on the death toll. The state government has officially confirmed seven deaths. However, some reports suggest the number could be as high as 14 between December 21, 2025, and January 1, 2026.

Compensation announced for families

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Urban Affairs and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday distributed compensation cheques to the families of the seven officially confirmed deceased.

Each family received an ex gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh, in line with the announcement made by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday night.