A laboratory test has established that contaminated drinking water was responsible for a vomiting-diarrhoea outbreak in Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s commercial hub, leading to at least seven deaths and affecting over 1,400 people, officials said on Thursday. The outbreak, which emerged in the Bhagirathpura area, has raised concerns over the safety of the city’s water supply, despite Indore’s reputation as India’s cleanest city for the past eight years.
Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani told reporters that a laboratory report prepared by a city-based medical college confirmed drinking water was contaminated due to a leakage in a pipeline in the Bhagirathpura area, from where the outbreak has been reported, as per news agency PTI. He did not share detailed findings of the test report.
Officials cited that a leakage was found in the main drinking water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura at a spot over which a toilet had been constructed. They claimed the leakage led to contamination of the water supply in the area.
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey told PTI, “We are closely examining the entire drinking water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura to find out if there is any leakage elsewhere.” He added that, after inspection, clean water was supplied to households in Bhagirathpura through the pipeline on Thursday, though residents were advised to boil water before drinking as a precaution.
Dubey further stated, “We have also taken samples of this water and sent them for testing.” In response to the incident, he said, “Drawing lessons from the water tragedy in Bhagirathpura, the senior bureaucrat informed that a standard operating procedure (SOP) will be issued for the entire state to prevent such incidents in the future.”
Dubey visited Bhagirathpura to review the situation, following instructions from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Authorities have intensified surveillance of the water supply system to prevent further outbreaks.
A health department official reported that a survey of 1,714 households in Bhagirathpura on Thursday examined 8,571 people. Of them, 338 people showing mild symptoms of vomiting-diarrhoea were given primary treatment at their homes.
The health department further indicated that in the eight days since the outbreak began, 272 patients were admitted to local hospitals, of whom 71 have been discharged.
At present, 201 patients are admitted in hospitals, including 32 in intensive care units (ICUs), the official added.
– Ends
Inputs from PTI
Published By:
Sayan Ganguly
Published On:
Jan 1, 2026
