8 people die in Indore after drinking contaminated water, 3 officials suspended

Madhya Pradesh : A grave situation has arisen in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, centered around the contamination of drinking water. In the city’s Bhagirathpura area, the death toll has risen to eight in recent days due to illness from consuming contaminated water. In response to this tragic incident, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has taken strict action in this tragic incident. On Tuesday night, he ordered the temporary suspension of two municipal officials and the dismissal of one public health engineer on charges of negligence.

In a statement, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said that the Bhagirathpura incident in Indore is extremely painful. Zonal Officer Shaligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi have been suspended. At the same time, the Superintendent Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department, Shubham Shrivastava, has been removed from his post with immediate effect. The state government has announced financial assistance of ₹2 lakh each to the families of the deceased. It has also been stated that the government will bear all medical expenses of those affected, and any costs already incurred will be reimbursed.

Residents began falling ill after noticing a strange taste and odour in the municipal-supplied water on December 25. Since Monday night, eight people died while undergoing treatment in various hospitals. Local MLA and state cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited the hospitals, met the affected families, and assured them of free and advanced medical treatment. However, the incident has sparked intense political controversy.

Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari has held the Indore Municipal Commissioner and the corporation responsible for the incident. He alleged that it is a grave failure on the part of the municipal corporation. According to Patwari, sewage water mixing into the drinking water line could cause diarrhoea or jaundice, but deaths on this scale should not occur. He suspects that some toxic substance may have mixed into the water line, necessitating a proper investigation.

As political tensions rise, the Indore district Congress unit has decided to file an FIR against the Indore Municipal Corporation and Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav. Meanwhile, an investigation is currently underway to determine the actual cause of the incident.