However, the official death toll, however, remained at 16, leading to a dispute over the actual number of deaths due to contaminated water supplied by the Indore Municipal Corporation through household taps in the locality,
File Photo: IANS
An elderly woman from the Bhagirathpura locality in Indore succumbed to diarrhoea and vomiting on Wednesday a day after an old man died of similar complications taking the unofficial death toll of contaminated drinking water from River Narmada to 30.
However, the official death toll, however, remained at 16, leading to a dispute over the actual number of deaths due to contaminated water supplied by the Indore Municipal Corporation through household taps in the locality,
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Locals also claimed that at least 30 people have died due to the contamination of water so far.
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The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court heard the matter again on Tuesday with State Chief Secretary Anurag Jain also appearing through video conferencing.
The state government submitted its report claiming that 23 deaths have been reported so far, but only 16 are related to contaminated drinking water.
The high court, taking a servious view of the government’s report, ordered the constitution of a single-member inquiry committee to be headed by retired Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta.
According to court sources, the commission has been tasked with examining the causes of water contamination, the actual number of deaths, nature of illnesses reported, adequacy of medical facilities, accountability of responsible officials, and the compensation to victims and their families
The court has directed the commission to submit an interim report within four weeks’ time. The next hearing is scheduled for 5 March 2026.
The inquiry commission has been granted powers equivalent to a civil court. Accordingly, it can summon officials and witnesses, call for documents, conduct water quality tests, and carry out site inspections.
The state government has been directed to provide all necessary staff, infrastructure, and resources to the commission.
The latest fatality reported today was of Laxmi Rajak (65). She was admitted to a hospital for treatment, but died today.
On Tuesday, 62-year-old Khubchand Bandhaiya had also succumbed after suffering from vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration for almost two weeks. His family members staged a chakkajam and protest by keeping his body on the road.
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