A third of water samples taken from Indore’s Bhagirathpura area and tested by medical authorities contained bacterial contamination, according to a report submitted to the Indore Municipal Corporation on Thursday, even as officials took steps to clean and repair the water supply line and begin work on a delayed, new supply line.
Nearly 2,800 people have fallen ill in the area over the past 10 days due to contaminated drinking water supplied by the IMC, and 272 have been hospitalised. While the official death toll remains at four, local reports and residents claim that 14 people have died due to the contamination. On the first day of 2026, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) issued a notice to Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Anurag Jain and sought a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
Indore Divisional Commissioner Sudam Khade told The Hindu that a report has been submitted by the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College to the IMC confirming bacterial contamination in 26 water samples. More than 70 samples had been collected from various locations in the area.
New supply line
“The entire supply line has been cleaned, leakages repaired, and water replaced. Chlorine tablets have been distributed in the area and residents have been advised to boil the water before consuming it,” Mr. Khade said, adding that the OPD patients numbers are now decreasing.
