Indore Water Contamination Deaths Spark Outrage, Questions Raised Over Official Toll. India News

The death toll linked to contaminated drinking water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area has triggered widespread outrage, with victims’ families and hospital records indicating at least 15 deaths, even as the Madhya Pradesh government has told the High Court that only four fatalities were caused by polluted water.

In today’s episode of DNA, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, conducted a detailed analysis of the crisis, questioning the gap between official claims and ground reports, and highlighting what he described as systemic negligence in water supply and healthcare delivery.

According to hospital reports and accounts from local residents, people fell seriously ill after consuming contaminated water supplied to the area. Despite this, the state government has maintained in court submissions that only four deaths can be directly attributed to water contamination, a claim sharply disputed by affected families.

Protests demanding clean drinking water continued in Indore, as fresh cases of illness were reported. On the latest day alone, nine more residents from Bhagirathpura were admitted to hospital. Protesters allege that authorities have failed to acknowledge the severity of the problem or take adequate corrective action.

Healthcare response has also come under scrutiny. Patients have been treated at the local government dispensary, MY Hospital in Indore, and Aurobindo Hospital. However, none of the critically ill patients have reportedly been referred to major tertiary-care institutions such as AIIMS. Families claim that deaths are continuing to occur in hospitals due to delayed or inadequate treatment.

Administrative accountability has emerged as a key issue. Action has been taken against several municipal officials, including former zonal officer Shaligram Shitole, assistant engineer Yogesh Joshi and sub-engineer Shubham Srivastava, who were responsible for water supply, pipeline monitoring and leakage repairs in the area. Critics, however, argue that these officials were only lower-level functionaries and that responsibility must extend to senior officials.

Questions have also been raised about the role of senior civic officials, including the Indore Municipal Corporation’s Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisonia, Superintending Engineer Sanjeev Srivastava, and local councilor Kamal Baghela. While some officials have been removed or transferred, critics describe these measures as largely symbolic, arguing that meaningful accountability has yet to be established.

The incident has also highlighted broader concerns about healthcare infrastructure. MY Hospital, where several victims are being treated, had previously come under scrutiny after two infants died in September 2025 following alleged rat bites, raising further doubts about patient safety and standards of care.

Observers note that the crisis has disproportionately affected lower middle-class families, who lack access to private healthcare and specialized treatment. Comparisons have been drawn with the swift and extensive medical arrangements typically made for political leaders or senior officials, underscoring claims of unequal treatment.

As anger continues to mount, residents and civil society groups are demanding a transparent investigation, accurate reporting of deaths, accountability at all levels of administration, and immediate measures to ensure safe drinking water and proper medical care for those affected.