Indore, 5 Jan 

As many as 142 people remain hospitalised, including 11 in intensive care units, following a diarrhoea outbreak triggered by contaminated drinking water in Indore, while 20 new cases have been detected during door-to-door screening in Bhagirathpura, officials said on Sunday.

Health teams screened 9,416 residents across 2,354 households in Bhagirathpura, identified as the epicentre of the outbreak, where six deaths have officially been confirmed. Authorities said the fresh cases were identified during the ongoing health survey.

According to officials, a total of 398 patients were admitted to hospitals since the outbreak began. Of these, 256 have been discharged after recovery. The administration said the situation was now under control.

Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Haasani said a team from the Kolkata-based National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections had arrived in Indore to investigate the outbreak and provide technical assistance to contain the spread.

While officials have confirmed six deaths, there is disagreement over the toll. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava earlier claimed 10 fatalities, while local residents alleged that 16 people, including a six-month-old child, had died due to contaminated water.

The outbreak has triggered political unrest, with the Indian National Congress staging bell-ringing protests across Madhya Pradesh, demanding the resignation of senior minister Kailash Vijayvargiya over his remarks on the crisis.

Vijayvargiya, who holds the Urban Development and Housing portfolios, sparked controversy on  31 December after responding with the word “ghanta” to reporters’ questions about the water contamination. The Congress has demanded a judicial inquiry into the deaths and action against civic officials.

State Congress president Jitu Patwari warned of an agitation on  11 January if corrective measures were not taken. He alleged that complaints of contaminated water supply in Bhagirathpura had been ignored for months.

Meanwhile, a sub-divisional magistrate in Dewas district was suspended on Sunday for allegedly reproducing portions of a Congress memorandum in an official order related to law and order during protests, officials said. Ujjain division revenue commissioner Ashish Singh termed it serious negligence.

Renowned water conservationist Rajendra Singh described the deaths as a “system-created disaster”, blaming corruption and faulty urban planning. He expressed concern that such an incident had occurred in Indore, which has consistently been ranked India’s cleanest city.

Officials admitted that sewage overflow had entered drinking water pipelines, triggering severe diarrhoea and vomiting among residents. Singh alleged that contractors often lay water pipelines close to drainage lines to cut costs, compromising public safety.