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At least eight people have lost their lives and more than 100 people have fallen ill after drinking contaminated water supplied by the municipality in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore. The incident has been reported from Bhagirathpura area of the city.
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav put the death toll at seven and said municipal officials are going door-to-door to ensure proper care for the affected people.
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Some reports said quoting local residents and other officials that the number of dead has risen to eight.
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“The health department has officially confirmed the deaths of three people. However, according to my information, the total number of deaths due to illness is seven. 36 people have been discharged. More than 116 people are reported to be ill,” Bhargav said.
“The Indore Municipal Corporation’s health department is constantly working with the people to resolve their problems. We are all deeply saddened by this unfortunate situation. The entire municipal corporation is reaching out to people in all areas and ensuring that they receive proper care in hospitals,” Bhargav told news agency ANI.
According to the Mayor, the Chief Minister has announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of the deceased, while all those ill will be provided free treatment.
#WATCH | Indore, Madhya Pradesh: Three people have died in Indore due to contaminated water, and more than 100 people have been hospitalised
Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav says, “The health department has officially confirmed the deaths of three people. However, according to… pic.x.com/i1pfWA6G8x
— ANI (@ANI) December 31, 2025
What really happened, what action has been taken
As per the details available, a large number of people fell ill in Bhagirathpura area over the last few days after drinking contaminated water.
Most of them were admitted to different hospitals in the city. By Tuesday, three of the affected people had died. However, the number rose sharply to eight on Wednesday as per an official quoted by news agency IANS.
It has been reported that residents of the area had complained about unusual taste and smell in the municipal water supply which they received on December 25.
The incident has triggered serious concerns about the safety of drinking water in Indore, with Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordering swift action in the case.
Two municipal officials have been suspended and one public health engineer has been sacked over negligence in performing their duties.
“Bhagirathpura incident in Indore is tragic. Zonal officer Saligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi were suspended. Superintendent Engineer of PHE Shubham Srivastava has been removed from his service with immediate effect,” CM Yadav stated in a statement issued late on Tuesday.
Congress leader alleges poisoning of water supply
The Opposition Congress in the state has slammed the state government and authorities over the tragedy.
Indore district Congress unit is reported to be mulling filing of an FIR against the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and its Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari, who met the affected people at some hospitals on Tuesday evening, blamed the Indore Municipal Commissioner for the tragedy and alleged poisoning of the water supply.
“This is a complete failure of the Municipal Corporation. If drainage water mixes with drinking water pipelines, people can suffer from vomiting, diarrhoea, and jaundice, but they do not die from it. It appears that some kind of poisonous substance had mixed into the drinking water pipeline, and this needs to be investigated,” Patwari said.
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