An official has been dismissed and two others suspended following a water contamination incident in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, where the death toll has reached at least 10. Over 2,000 residents have reported illness after consuming tainted drinking water supplied by the municipal corporation, as confirmed by local officials.
Among the deceased are a six-month-old infant and six women. In the past week, more than 100 residents from Indore’s Bhagirathpura area have been hospitalized after drinking from a municipal supply line. Although the administration has not yet formally acknowledged the exact death toll, a senior district official indicated that it exceeds 10.
In response to the crisis, Shubham Shrivastava, a sub-engineer in charge of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department within the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), was terminated. Zonal officer Shaligram Sitole and assistant engineer Yogesh Joshi received suspensions as directed by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
According to a statement from the Chief Medical and Health Officer’s office, a survey of 7,992 households has been conducted, with 39,854 individuals examined so far. Among these, 2,456 suspected cases were identified and provided with immediate first aid. As of Wednesday, 212 patients are hospitalized; 50 have been discharged, while 162 remain under care, including 26 in intensive care units.
A three-member inquiry committee has been formed to investigate the incident. The committee, led by IAS officer Navjeevan Panwar, also includes Pradeep Nigam, a superintendent engineer, and Dr. Shailesh Rai, an associate professor at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Medical College. The committee will also review delays in completing a tender issued in August for a new water supply line in the affected locality.
Cabinet Minister and Indore-1 MLA Kailash Vijayvargiya characterized the situation as “unfortunate,” noting a temporary decline in hospital admissions on Wednesday. He remained in the area while Chief Minister Yadav visited multiple hospitals to meet with affected patients.
Vijayvargiya faced criticism during a heated exchange with NDTV regarding accountability in the water contamination crisis. When questioned about the focus on junior officials rather than senior leaders or ministers, he responded dismissively, saying, “Oh, leave it, don’t ask useless questions.”
NDTV pressed for further clarification, asking if responsibility extended to him and Water Resources Minister Tulsi Silawat, who was present with the Chief Minister, and why actions against senior officials were not discussed. As the questioning intensified, Vijayvargiya became agitated and used inappropriate language.
Shortly thereafter, the minister took to social media to express regret for his remarks, stating that he and his team had been tirelessly working on the situation for two days. “In a moment of grief and stress, my words came out wrong. For this, I express my regret,” he said, pledging to ensure the safety and health of residents in the affected area.
Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has instructed the Indore Municipal Corporation to provide clean drinking water to the residents of Bhagirathpura.
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