Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava on January 2 said he had received information suggesting that at least 10 people had died due to a diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water in the city’s Bhagirathpura area, even as official health department records put the death toll lower.
“According to health department data, four deaths have been reported due to the diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura. However, I have information indicating that 10 people have died,” Bhargava told PTI.
Local residents, meanwhile, claimed that the toll could be higher, alleging that at least 14 people, including a six-month-old infant, had lost their lives during the outbreak. These claims are yet to be confirmed by the health department.
Asked about reports pointing to a possible cholera outbreak based on preliminary test results of drinking water samples, the mayor said that only the health department was authorised to comment on the nature of the infection.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani said laboratory tests conducted at a city medical college had confirmed contamination in the drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura. He said the contamination was caused by a leakage in the pipeline supplying water to the area. However, neither detailed findings of the report nor further specifics were shared, and administrative officials have also refrained from issuing a clear statement.
Officials said a leak was detected in the main drinking water pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a spot where a toilet has been constructed. The leakage, they said, allowed sewage to mix with the water supply.
The outbreak has affected more than 1,400 people in the locality over the past nine days, with many residents reporting symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea. As of Thursday night, 272 patients had been admitted to hospitals, of whom 71 have been discharged, a health department official said.
At present, 201 patients remain hospitalised, including 32 who are undergoing treatment in intensive care units, the official added.