Indore: Indore, celebrated nationally for maintaining top cleanliness rankings for eight consecutive years, is facing an alarming public health emergency after a widespread diarrhoeal outbreak left at least eight people dead and more than 1,400 ill.
Health authorities confirmed on Thursday that laboratory tests have traced the outbreak to polluted drinking water supplied in parts of the city. The findings have raised serious concerns about the safety of the water distribution network in Madhya Pradesh’s commercial hub.
According to Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani, analysis conducted by a local medical college revealed that contamination occurred due to a damaged pipeline in Bhagirathpura, the locality where the outbreak first surfaced. While detailed results of the report were not made public, officials acknowledged that the water supply had become unsafe for consumption.
Civic officials identified a leak in the main water pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura. The affected section reportedly passes beneath a toilet structure, increasing the risk of sewage mixing with drinking water. Authorities believe this breach allowed contaminants to enter the supply line, triggering the health crisis.
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey said the administration is now inspecting the entire pipeline network in the area to rule out further leaks. “Our teams are checking the full stretch of the water supply system to ensure there are no other vulnerable points,” he said. Although water supply has resumed after repairs, residents have been advised to boil water before drinking as a precautionary measure. Fresh samples have also been collected for testing.
In response to the incident, the state government plans to introduce a standard operating procedure for water supply systems across Madhya Pradesh to prevent similar occurrences in the future. Dubey visited Bhagirathpura to assess the situation following directions from Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
Meanwhile, the health department has intensified monitoring and treatment efforts. During a door-to-door survey of 1,714 households on Thursday, medical teams examined 8,571 residents. Of these, 338 people with mild symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea were treated at home.
Officials said that over the past eight days, 272 patients have required hospitalisation. While 71 have been discharged after recovery, 201 remain admitted, including 32 patients receiving care in intensive care units.
As the city works to contain the outbreak, the incident has cast a shadow over Indore’s reputation for urban management, underscoring the need for robust infrastructure checks even in the country’s cleanest cities.
