Indore water contamination deaths: Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya 'admits mistake’; 7 dead, over 1,100 ill

INDORE: Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Wednesday admitted lapses on the part of officials in the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore that has claimed seven lives so far, asserting that those found guilty would face action regardless of their rank.Indore mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava told news agency PTI, seven deaths have been reported within a week after residents of Bhagirathpura fell ill due to contaminated water in the locality, which falls in the country’s cleanest city. Officials said that over the past week, more than 1,100 people have been affected by the vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura, with 111 patients requiring hospitalisation.Bhagirathpura comes under the Indore-1 assembly constituency, which Vijayvargiya represents as the minister for urban development and housing.Responding to questions on the incident, Vijayvargiya told reporters, "I feel that a mistake has been committed, but it is better if we first ensure that all patients recover and create a positive environment rather than discuss this now." He stressed that no one responsible for the contaminated drinking water would be spared, even if the official held a very high position.On the number of deaths linked to the incident, the minister said, "I will not comment on this at present because some people have died natural deaths, while some fatalities have occurred in this incident as well. Therefore, after an inquiry by doctors and the administration, we will share the figures." He added that while the number of people suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea in Bhagirathpura has come down, hospital admissions are still continuing.Vijayvargiya said four ambulances and dedicated medical teams have been deployed in the affected area. Separate wards have also been set up at the government-run Maharaja Yashwantrao Hospital and the private Shri Aurobindo Institute of Medical Sciences to treat patients.He further said private hospitals in Bhagirathpura have been informed that the state government will bear the full cost of treatment for all affected patients.Meanwhile, Indore Municipal Corporation commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav said a leakage was detected in the main water supply pipeline in Bhagirathpura, above which a toilet had been constructed, leading to possible contamination of the drinking water.An official said that acting on the directions of chief minister Mohan Yadav, a zonal officer and an assistant engineer of the municipal corporation have been suspended with immediate effect, while the services of an in-charge sub-engineer have been terminated.A three-member committee headed by an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has been constituted to probe the incident, the official added.