Indore Water Crisis: CM Mohan Yadav Sacks Top Officials as Death Toll Hits 10; Bacterial Contamination Confirmed in Samples

At least 10 people have died and over 1,400 residents have fallen ill with vomiting and diarrhea following a severe drinking water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, officials confirmed. The public health emergency has triggered swift administrative action and sparked political controversy across Madhya Pradesh.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered immediate punitive measures against civic authorities, including the removal of Indore’s Additional Commissioner and the relieving of the Superintending Engineer overseeing water distribution from his duties.

Taking to social media platform X, the CM announced, “…I issued directions to the Indore Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Additional Commissioner to issue a show-cause notice in this regard, to immediately remove the Additional Commissioner from Indore, and to relieve the In-Charge Superintending Engineer of the charge of the Water Distribution Works Department. I also issued directions to immediately fill the necessary positions in the Indore Municipal Corporation with effect from now.”

Dr. Madhav Prasad Hasani, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) of Indore, stated that senior medical professionals and district officials are maintaining continuous surveillance at hospitals to ensure affected patients receive appropriate care.

“Currently, senior doctors and district administration officials are continuously monitoring the situation at the hospitals and keeping a check that proper treatment is being ensured to the patients. I am going for the hearing of a case regarding this contaminated water issue and give further details later. Till now, as per records, four deaths occurred though we will revise and update if we received additional data and evidence in this regard,” Hasani told ANI.

HT had previously reported that preliminary investigation results confirmed the detection of sewage-related bacteria in drinking water samples collected three days after residents first sought medical attention for gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Key Developments

1. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has instructed the Indore Municipal Corporation to issue show-cause notices, terminate the Additional Commissioner’s posting in Indore, strip the in-charge Superintending Engineer of water distribution responsibilities, and expedite appointments to fill existing vacancies in response to the contamination tragedy.
   
2. Indore Collector Shivam Verma confirmed that preliminary assessments point to water contamination as the root cause. He noted that 13 additional patients have been hospitalized, survey teams are conducting household-level symptom screenings, and chlorine tablets are being distributed throughout impacted neighborhoods.
   
3. Indore Municipal Corporation Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisoniya revealed that bacterial contamination was identified in 26 out of 50 water samples obtained four days earlier from Bhagirathpura and surrounding localities.
   
4. Initial investigations into at least nine fatalities in Bhagirathpura detected bacteria commonly associated with sewage in the drinking water supply.
   
5. According to the health department, 272 patients from the affected zone had been hospitalized as of Thursday, with 71 discharged to date. At least 32 patients remain under intensive care, PTI reported.
   
6. Authorities have issued advisories urging residents to avoid consuming tap water, depend on water tankers for drinking purposes, and boil water before use. Municipal water supply should be utilized exclusively for cleaning and washing.
   
7. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack on the BJP-led state government, characterizing the incident as “poison being distributed” while authorities “slept like Kumbhakarna.” He questioned why persistent complaints about foul-smelling water went unheeded, how sewage infiltrated drinking water infrastructure, and why the supply wasn’t immediately shut down.
   
8. Senior Congress figure Jitendra (Jitu) Patwari blamed the Madhya Pradesh government for corruption and power arrogance regarding the water contamination episode, alleging that inadequate coordination between elected representatives and district officials resulted in multiple casualties.
   
9. BSP supremo Mayawati conveyed profound grief over the deaths and illnesses stemming from tainted drinking water in Indore, describing the situation as tragic. She asserted that negligence and corruption in delivering fundamental amenities like clean water proved deadly and provoked widespread public anger nationwide.
   
10. Municipal repair crews are operating continuously in Bhagirathpura to pinpoint infrastructure defects, analyze water quality, and rehabilitate distribution pipelines.
    
11. In a heart-wrenching case, six-month-old Avyan Sahu, born after his parents’ decade-long prayers for a child, died after packaged milk was mixed with contaminated water, devastating the family. “Now the government should ensure that no mother is robbed of a child due to contaminated water,” a neighbor told PTI.
    
12. The bereaved family has declined the state government’s ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh, asserting that financial compensation cannot replace the loss of their child.
    
13. Local residents claim the vomiting-diarrhea outbreak linked to polluted water has claimed at least 15 lives over the past year, though the health department has officially acknowledged only four deaths.