Indore is dealing with a public health nightmare right as the year ends. As of Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the death toll in the Bhagirathpura area has jumped to 8, with over 116 people still hospitalized.
The thing is, Indore has been ranked the “cleanest city in India” for eight years straight. Or nothing. Let’s be real, having sewage leak into drinking water in a city that prides itself on sanitation is a massive, systemic failure. Those too.
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The “Bhagirathpura” Outbreak: Field Notes
It all started on Christmas Day when residents noticed the tap water tasted “bitter” and smelled off. Within 48 hours, hospitals were seeing a surge in severe gastroenteritis.
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The Ground Zero: Municipal Commissioner Dileep Yadav confirmed a leakage was found in the main Narmada water supply line. And here’s the kicker: someone had built a toilet directly over the leakage point, allowing raw sewage to seep straight into the drinking water pipes.
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The Victims: Most of the deceased are elderly, including Nandlal Pal (70) and Urmila Yadav (60). Doctors say while many died of dehydration and cardiac arrest, the root cause was the sudden, intense viral and bacterial load from the water.
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The “Poison” Theory: Local Congress leaders, including Jitu Patwari, are claiming it might be more than just sewage. They’re calling for a forensic probe into whether industrial chemicals or “poisonous substances” were dumped nearby.
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Government Action & Fallout
It’s an ongoing situation where the “triple-engine” government is feeling the heat. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav isn’t taking it lightly:
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Suspensions: Zonal Officer Saligram Sitole and Assistant Engineer Yogesh Joshi are out. Superintendent Engineer Shubham Srivastava was fired outright.
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Compensation: Families of the deceased are getting ₹2 lakh, and the government is footing the bill for all hospital treatments.
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The Probe: An IAS-led committee has been given 48 hours to submit a full report.
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The “Cleanest City” Paradox
And here’s the kicker: while the central parts of Indore look like a postcard, the “last mile” infrastructure in areas like Bhagirathpura is clearly crumbling. Residents say they’ve been complaining about foul-smelling water for weeks, but the “Zonal Office” just ignored them. Now, there’s talk of the Congress party filing an FIR for “culpable homicide” against the Mayor and the Commissioner.
Basically, if you’re in Indore, the advice is simple: boil your water for at least 20 minutes before drinking, no matter how “clean” the city says it is.
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