Indore, Jan 1 After more than 150 residents of India’s cleanest city, Indore, fell ill following the consumption of contaminated drinking water, a shocking revelation has emerged about poor coordination between Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav and senior officials of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC).
The disclosure was made by Madhya Pradesh Urban Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya after he, along with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, visited several hospitals late Wednesday night and later held a review meeting with IMC officials and the Mayor.
“We have identified the location where the drinking water supply got contaminated due to a sewerage connection. Inspections are also underway in other areas, and the issue will be resolved soon. However, it has been noticed that there was a lack of coordination between the Mayor and municipal officials, and action will be taken in this regard,” Vijayvargiya told reporters.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the situation in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area -- where residents reported acute stomach pain, vomiting, and diarrhoea -- as an “emergency-like situation.” He assured strict action against those found responsible.
“An investigation is underway, and I am prepared to take tough action against those responsible for the Bhagirathpura water tragedy,” Yadav said. He added that patients are being treated in nearly 30 hospitals across Indore and that it would take some time to ascertain the exact number of casualties.
According to the Indore district administration, around 40,000 people in Bhagirathpura were screened over the past three days. Of them, 2,456 were found suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea and were provided with first-aid treatment at their homes.
Official data released late Wednesday night showed that 212 patients were hospitalised, with at least 30 admitted to ICUs in various hospitals.
While authorities have not yet released an official death toll, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav stated that at least seven people had died as of Wednesday.
Earlier, on Tuesday night, the Madhya Pradesh government suspended two senior IMC officials, while senior Public Health Engineering (PHE) official Shubham Shrivastava was removed from service with immediate effect.
An inquiry panel headed by senior IAS officer Navjeevan Panwar is investigating the incident.
Meanwhile, the Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on Wednesday sought a status report on the Bhagirathpura incident, directing authorities to submit it on January 2.
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