Indore,  31 Dec

 At least seven people have died after allegedly consuming contaminated drinking water in Indore, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said on Wednesday, amid differing accounts from officials on the exact death toll.

Addressing reporters, Bhargava said the health department had officially confirmed three deaths linked to a diarrhoea outbreak in the Bhagirathpura area, but added that four more patients who were hospitalised with similar symptoms had also died.

A preliminary assessment suggests that drainage water may have entered the drinking water pipeline due to leakage, triggering cases of diarrhoea and vomiting in the locality, the mayor said.

District Magistrate Shivam Verma, however, maintained that doctors had confirmed four deaths caused by contaminated water. He said 149 patients had been admitted to 27 hospitals across the city and were under medical supervision.

Local residents claimed the toll was higher, alleging that at least eight people, including six women, had died over the past week after falling ill due to contaminated water supply in Bhagirathpura.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. He also said the state government would bear the full cost of treatment for all affected patients.

Following the chief minister’s directions, a zonal officer and an assistant engineer of the municipal corporation in Bhagirathpura have been suspended with immediate effect, while the services of an in-charge sub-engineer have been terminated. A three-member committee headed by an IAS officer has been constituted to probe the incident.

Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav said a leakage was detected in the main water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura, at a point over which a toilet had been constructed, raising the possibility of contamination.

Meanwhile, Congress spokesperson Neelabh Shukla accused the administration of concealing the actual death toll to cover up what he termed “fatal negligence”, saying the episode had tarnished the image of Indore, often projected as the country’s cleanest city.