Lab Confirms Contaminated Water Caused Indore Diarrhoea Outbreak, 9 Dead

Contaminated Water Causes Indore Diarrhoea Outbreak, 9 Dead, Over 1,400 Affected.

A laboratory test has confirmed that contaminated drinking water caused a vomiting-diarrhoea outbreak in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, leading to at least nine deaths and affecting over 1,400 people, officials said on Thursday.

The outbreak originated in the Bhagirathpura area, raising concerns over the safety of the city’s water supply, despite Indore being ranked India’s cleanest city for eight consecutive years.

Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr. Madhav Prasad Hasani, said a city-based medical college’s lab report confirmed that the water contamination resulted from a leakage in a pipeline in Bhagirathpura. Officials noted that the leakage occurred near a police outpost where a toilet had been constructed, which led to the contamination.

Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey stated that authorities are inspecting the entire pipeline network in Bhagirathpura for other possible leakages. Clean water was restored to households on Thursday, though residents were advised to boil water as a precaution. Water samples have also been sent for further testing.

Dubey added that lessons from the incident would help formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the entire state to prevent similar outbreaks in the future. Surveillance of the city’s water supply has been intensified to avoid further incidents.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government, noting that residents had reportedly complained about contaminated water for several days without action.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the outbreak as an “emergency-like situation” and assured strict action against those responsible. He visited hospitals and later reviewed the situation in a high-level meeting.

A health department survey of 1,714 households covering 8,571 people in Bhagirathpura found 338 residents with mild vomiting-diarrhoea symptoms, who received primary treatment at home. Since the outbreak began eight days ago, 272 patients were admitted to hospitals; 71 have been discharged, while 201 remain hospitalized, including 32 in ICUs.