Drop by drop: How water wiped out lives in Indore’s poorest lanes

INDORE: A grim silence has fallen over Bhagirathpura, a densely populated area in Indore. With lanes empty except for a few people attending makeshift medical camps, residents have rushed to hospitals after falling ill due to contaminated drinking water. Since Monday night, several locals began vomiting and developing high fever, with nine deaths reported so far.The Madhya Pradesh government confirmed nine fatalities on Thursday evening, attributing at least four of these directly to contaminated water based on postmortem reports, according to additional chief secretary Sanjay Dubey, in charge of the urban development department. The outbreak began after sewage water from a toilet at a local police check post seeped into the Bhagirathpura water supply. Residents first reported diarrhoea and vomiting, prompting admissions to 27 hospitals across the city.Lab report confirms bacterial contamination in drinking waterIndore’s chief medical and health officer, Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani, said a city-based medical college report confirmed that water samples collected from the area were contaminated due to a leak in a main supply pipeline. Bhagirathpura has emerged as the epicentre of the outbreak.District Collector Shivam Verma added that initial laboratory reports confirmed contamination, though the specific bacteria responsible are yet to be identified. Health officials conducted door-to-door surveys in 1,714 households, examining 8,571 people. Of these, 338 individuals with mild symptoms were treated at home.Grief hits Bhagirathpura: Families struggle amid outbreakThe tragedy has left families devastated. For private school teacher Sadhana Sahu, the loss is unimaginable. She lost her five-month-old son, Abhyan, after mixing contaminated water with his milk. “We waited 10 years for him. Now he is gone,” she said through tears. Her husband Sunil recounted how Abhyan initially showed mild symptoms on December 26, but his condition worsened suddenly on Monday, leading to his death at home before they could reach a hospital.From Borasi ki Gali, resident Alguram Yadav lost his 65-year-old wife, Urmila, on Sunday. His son, daughter-in-law, and 11-month-old grandson are still hospitalized. “We barely get by. When illness strikes, everything collapses,” he said.Bhagirathpura, home to nearly 15,000 people, mostly from economically weaker sections, continues to grapple with the crisis. Almost every household has one or more members exhibiting symptoms of diarrhoea, vomiting, and fever, leaving the community in fear and grief.