Indore: The Madhya Pradesh High Court has taken serious note of the outbreak of waterborne diseases in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, directing Chief Secretary Anurag Jain to appear before it virtually on January 15. The outbreak has claimed at least 10 lives so far and left several others ill, raising alarm over the safety of the city’s drinking water.
The Indore bench of the High Court, comprising Justices Vijay Kumar Shukla and Alok Awasthi, issued the direction while hearing five petitions linked to the health crisis caused by contaminated water. The court observed that the issue was not confined to a single locality and expressed concern over the safety of drinking water supplied across Indore.
Officials on Monday confirmed that more than half of the groundwater samples collected from borewells in Bhagirathpura tested positive for E. coli bacteria, indicating severe contamination. The findings emerged a day after the outbreak was reported in the area.
“If the drinking water itself is contaminated, it is a matter of grave concern,” the bench remarked, adding that the right to life under the Constitution also includes the right to clean and safe drinking water. The court said this fundamental right cannot be compromised under any circumstances.
The High Court also sought an updated status report after petitioners alleged that the official figures on infections and deaths submitted earlier, on January 2, understated the actual scale of the outbreak. The judges noted that the incident had dented Indore’s reputation as one of the cleanest cities in the country.
Earlier, on December 31, the court had directed the state government and the Indore Municipal Corporation to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to residents, following which a compliance report was filed.
Counsel for the petitioners, Ritesh Inani, told the court that tanker-supplied water in the affected locality remained unsafe despite repeated complaints by residents even before the outbreak. He argued that timely administrative action could have prevented the crisis.
Senior advocate Ajay Bagadia pointed to delays in infrastructure development, stating that a ₹2.38 crore project to lay new water pipelines in Bhagirathpura was approved in November 2022 but remained stalled due to administrative inaction. According to him, tenders were not opened, ultimately contributing to the contamination issue.
Meanwhile, the health situation continues to evolve, with 38 fresh cases of vomiting and diarrhoea reported from Bhagirathpura on Tuesday, prompting heightened concern among authorities and residents alike.
