In a stark revelation that contradicts the official stance of the Madhya Pradesh government, records now show that compensation has been disbursed to the families of 18 individuals who died after consuming contaminated water in Indore's Bhagirathpura area. This comes just a day after the state informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court that the death toll stood at eight.
Compensation Data Reveals Larger Tragedy
Government documents accessed by The Indian Express indicate that the Indore district administration has distributed cheques of Rs 2 lakh each to 18 families affected by the tragedy that unfolded between December 24, 2025, and January 6, 2026. One more family is reportedly still awaiting its compensation cheque, with officials assisting victims in completing formalities like opening bank accounts.
The compensation drive, which included payments even in cases where post-mortems were not conducted, was a decision taken by the local administration and senior leaders, including Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. This was done without waiting for a final death audit, a senior official explained, highlighting the discrepancy between the compensation count and the official toll presented to the court.
High Court Slams Government's "Insensitive" Response
The Madhya Pradesh High Court, hearing the case, expressed strong displeasure at the state's handling of the crisis. A Division Bench comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi pulled up the government, noting that its response had been insensitive and had tarnished the reputation of Indore, often celebrated as one of India's cleanest cities.
The court's sharp remarks followed the state's submission that a medical board was still ascertaining the final death count, a process complicated by the occurrence of natural deaths and a lack of post-mortem reports in some cases. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, addressing the issue, urged against focusing on numbers, stating that the loss of even a single life was extremely painful for his government.
Scientific Confirmation of Severe Contamination
A laboratory test report from the Indore Municipal Corporation's Water Testing Laboratory, dated January 3, 2026, has scientifically confirmed the cause of the outbreak. The report analysed 51 water samples from borewells in Bhagirathpura.
Alarmingly, 35 out of the 51 samples tested positive for faecal coliform bacteria. The contamination level ranged from 13 to 360 bacterial count per millilitre, starkly violating the Indian standard, which mandates a zero count. A senior municipal official stated that the contamination found was "far beyond what is considered safe."
While a public toilet without a septic tank was initially suspected, the investigation has now shifted to local borewell connections as the potential source. In response, the administration has launched a massive chlorination drive targeting over 500 borewells and begun geo-tagging them for better monitoring and mapping of water sources in the area.
