Indore, Jan 1 As residents of Bhagirathpura slum in Indore grapple with a deadly outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea linked to contaminated water, the Madhya Pradesh government has yet to release exact data on the number of fatalities.
Local claims suggest the death toll could be as high as 13, while official acknowledgments remain stuck at just four, leaving families in anguish and no authority able to provide a definitive count.
Meanwhile, new cases of illness are still emerging, with more than 50 people currently hospitalised and reports of fresh admissions on Thursday.
The crisis, which has unfolded over the past week, highlights a stark discrepancy between ground realities and administrative reports.
Between December 25 and 31, 2025, locals reported at least 12 deaths, including recent claims from two families on Thursday.
The deceased include Arvind, the son of Hiralal Kulkarni, and Shankar, both succumbing to symptoms of severe vomiting and diarrhoea, local sources said.
Despite these accounts, the district administration insists only four deaths are directly attributable to the outbreak caused by contaminated water.
This ambiguity has fuelled public outrage and political bickering.
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari lambasted the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government, saying, "Indore has consistently voted the BJP MPs and MLAs to power, but they have poisoned Indore's water. The question arises; 13 deaths have occurred, and the Chief Minister says that only four deaths have occurred. Was it the Chief Minister's responsibility to hide the death toll? We have formed a committee, and a complete investigation is underway. We demand that the families of the deceased be given a compensation of one crore rupees each. The Chief Minister should punish those responsible for this incident."
Reacting to State Congress President Patwari's claims against the BJP-led state government, State Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who also serves as the local MLA, visited the affected families on Thursday to distribute government relief cheques of Rs 2 lakh each.
However, the gesture was met with resistance; a victim's family refused the aid, expressing frustration over the state government's inaction.
A video of the protest has gone viral on social media, capturing the Minister's encounter with angry residents who surrounded him, complaining that dirty water has been supplied for the past two years despite repeated complaints.
"If our complaints had been heard earlier, so many people would not have died," women in the area told Minister Vijayvargiya.
Vijayvargiya, who left the spot on a scooter with BJP Corporator Kamal Waghela, later addressed the controversy over the death toll before the media saying, "The administration officials have informed me that four people have died due to this outbreak, but there are reports of eight or nine deaths here (in Bhagirathpura). We will verify this information, and if found to be true, the families of the deceased will be provided with financial assistance as announced by the Chief Minister Mohan Yadav."
He added that around 200 people have been admitted to hospitals, with no one currently in immediate danger -- one patient remains on a ventilator but is stable.
"Our effort is to save people's lives and provide maximum service. We are going to help those who are economically weak. We will provide assistance from the government as well as from society."
The outbreak has prompted urgent interventions from local authorities.
Following initial reports of three deaths and about 149 hospitalisations, the Indore District Magistrate Shivam Verma and District Municipal Commissioner Dileep Kumar Yadav inspected the area.
The municipal corporation is now supplying clean water directly to homes, and ambulances have been stationed for symptomatic residents, Minister Vijayvargiya said.
Minister Vijayvargiya also convened a meeting with the Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav and officials to address the water contamination issue.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has ordered an inquiry, directing the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Development and Housing Department, Sanjay Dubey, with investigating the matter.
Dubey visited the Bhagirathpura slum on Thursday morning to assess the situation.
Doctors treating the affected note that individuals with weaker immune systems, including children and the elderly, have been hit the hardest.
Most cases involve stomach infections manageable with medication, but the persistence of new infections underscores the ongoing threat.
As Indore, the cleanest city in India, faces this public health scandal, residents demand transparency and swift action.
With no exact death toll forthcoming and illnesses unabated, the state government's response remains under scrutiny, raising broader questions about water quality management in urban slums.
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