A severe public health crisis has gripped the Bhagirathpura area of Indore, turning its bustling lanes into deserted pathways haunted by grief and fear. The cause: contaminated water that has led to a massive outbreak of diarrhoea and vomiting, claiming nine lives and sending over 200 residents to hospitals across the city.
The Source of the Tragedy: A Fatal Infrastructure Failure
The origin of this disaster lies in a shocking act of negligence. Authorities have confirmed that the tragedy struck when waste from a toilet at a local police check post began leaking. Instead of constructing a proper septic tank connected to the sewage line, the contractor had channeled the toilet's output into a pit. This pit was situated directly above the main water supply pipeline. The waste eventually seeped through, contaminating the drinking water for thousands of residents.
Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) officials have acknowledged this critical failure in infrastructure. The contaminated water supply has affected nearly every household in Bhagirathpura, an area with a population of about 15,000, predominantly from economically weaker sections living in densely packed homes.
Personal Loss and Widespread Suffering
The human cost of this failure is devastating and deeply personal. Sadhana Sahu, a private school teacher, sits weeping on her doorstep, having lost her six-month-old son, Abhyan. "Abhyan was born 10 years after we had a daughter. Now, my child is no more," she said. She revealed that she had mixed the contaminated water with his milk, after which his health rapidly deteriorated. Her husband, Sunil Sahu, recounted how their son initially seemed fine after a doctor's visit on December 26 but suddenly developed high fever, vomited, and died at home on Monday.
The wails of grief echo from other homes. Alguram Yadav of Borasi ki Gali lost his 65-year-old wife, Urmila, on Sunday. His son, daughter-in-law, and 11-month-old grandson are all hospitalized with the same symptoms. "We earn little and barely manage to survive," he said, adding that while some officials visited, tangible help was scarce. He mentioned that state minister Kailash Vijayvargiya delivered a compensation cheque of Rs 2 lakh, as announced by the Chief Minister.
The crisis has extended beyond Bhagirathpura's immediate boundaries. On Thursday, a 43-year-old labourer named Arvind, who worked in the area, died in nearby Kulkarni ka Bhatta from similar symptoms. His neighbour squarely blamed the drinking water from Bhagirathpura for his death, leaving behind a widow and three young children.
Official Scramble and Residents' Anguish
As the Madhya Pradesh government officials scrambled on Thursday to fix responsibility, improve treatment facilities, and clean the water supply system, residents expressed anger and frustration. Jitendra Prajapati, a resident of Kulkarni Nagar, stated they had been receiving contaminated water for 15 days. "It looks clean, but when you leave it in a pot, you can see sedimentation. It leaves a burning sensation in the throat," he claimed. He alleged that complaints lodged with the IMC went unresolved, forcing residents to now completely avoid the tap water.
The area now wears a deathly silence, broken only by activity at makeshift medical camps. With most residents either hospitalized or tending to the sick in various hospitals, the community remains in a state of shock and mourning, awaiting concrete answers and lasting solutions to a crisis that should never have occurred.
