Indore water contamination: No clarity on death toll as residents, CM and Mayor give different figures

Conflicting claims over the number of deaths linked to the consumption of contaminated drinking water in Indore continued on Thursday, with local residents, the chief minister and the city mayor offering different figures.

Residents of the Bhagirathpura area claimed that 13 people, including a six-month-old child, have died so far due to the outbreak.

This comes a day after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav stated that four deaths had been confirmed, while Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said seven people had lost their lives.

Cases of diarrhoea and vomiting were first reported in Bhagirathpura about a week ago. While residents maintained that the death toll stood at 13, officials said only four deaths had been officially confirmed so far.

मैंने निर्देश दिए हैं कि भविष्य में ऐसी स्थिति पुनः उत्पन्न न हो। नगर निगम को पर्याप्त अमला और संसाधन उपलब्ध कराए जाएंगे। स्थिति पर सतत निगरानी एवं त्वरित निर्णय सुनिश्चित करने के लिए अपर मुख्य सचिव को इंदौर में तैनात रहने के निर्देश दिए।

पेयजल आपूर्ति के लिए अतिरिक्त टैंकरों… pic.twitter.com/pznJk62imN

— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) December 31, 2025

After visiting the affected area on Wednesday, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that four people had died in connection with the outbreak. However, a few hours later, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed that seven deaths had occurred.

The differing claims have led to continued confusion over the actual number of fatalities linked to the incident.

Officials said a preliminary assessment indicated that drainage water had entered the drinking water pipeline due to leakage, which triggered the outbreak in Bhagirathpura.

Bhagirathpura falls under the Indore-1 assembly constituency, which is represented by state Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya.

Speaking to reporters, Vijayvargiya said that around 1,400 to 1,500 people were affected by the outbreak, and nearly 200 of them were admitted to hospitals.

He added that all the admitted patients were out of danger and were being discharged on a continuous basis as their condition improved.

Commenting on the varying death figures, Vijayvargiya said, “Administrative officials have informed me that four people have died due to this outbreak, but there is information here (in Bhagirathpura) about eight to nine deaths. We will verify this information and if it is found to be correct, financial assistance will be provided to the families of the deceased as announced by CM Mohan Yadav.”

Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey visited the Bhagirathpura area along with local officials to review the situation.

Officials said water supply was restored in Bhagirathpura on Thursday after repairs were carried out on the leaking drinking water pipeline. Water samples were also collected from households in the area and sent for testing.

(With inputs from agencies)