Indore water contamination: Medical panel pegs death toll at 15

A medical committee formed to verify the death toll linked to the diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore has said that so far, 15 people have died due to consumption of contaminated water supplied by the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) in the area, an official said on Wednesday.

The panel, consisting of five doctors from the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Medical (MGM) College, has submitted a report to the State authorities confirming 15 deaths even as the official figure remains at six.

Indore Divisional Commissioner Sudam Khade confirmed to The Hindu that an internal analysis report has been received by the government. “Families of all 15 people have already been given the financial aid of ₹2 lakh each announced by the government,” he said. Mr. Khade, however, did not specify when the official death toll will be updated.

The panel was formed after local residents and media reports claimed that 21 people had died. They were tasked with verifying the medical records of the 21 deceased.

A Health Department official said since most of the victims were cremated without a postmortem examination, the committee found it difficult to ascertain the exact causes of their deaths. “The panel verified hospital records, including the causes of admission, treatments given and causes of deaths on death certificates. Their medical histories were also taken into consideration to reach a conclusion,” the official said on the condition of anonymity.

“There are many claims from the area, but it is not possible to include all of them in the official figures. Most of the deceased were those with pre-existing illnesses and passed away due to multiple organ failure,” the official added.

Mr. Khade also said that while the pipeline water supply in Bhagirathpura remains suspended, civic body officials were currently testing water quality in various phases. “It will be resumed as soon as all the quality parameters are met,” he added.

The diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura, a lower middle-class neighbourhood, came to light on December 29, 2025. So far, more than 3,000 people have been impacted due to water contamination. The water supplied in the area has been confirmed to be carrying a polymicrobial contamination, suspected to be the result of leakages in the decades-old water and sewage pipelines running close to each other in the area.