‘We're scared to drink tap water’: After Indore contamination tragedy, trust on municipal supply dries up; residents turn to bottled supply | Indore News

INDORE: The water contamination tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital Indore — repeatedly ranked India’s cleanest city over the past decade — has triggered widespread distrust of municipal tap water, forcing residents to rely on bottled water and adding to the financial burden of low- and middle-income households. Officials confirmed that at least six people have died and over 200 have been hospitalised following an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea linked to contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura. However, the death toll remains disputed, with figures ranging between 10 and 16.

“Yes, we are now scared of drinking municipal water. We need proof that it is safe before we consume it,” said Sunita to news agency PTI, a resident of Marathi Mohalla.

“We are buying drinking water jars from the market at ₹20 to ₹30 per jar.” She alleged that residents had been receiving “dirty water” from taps for the past two to three years, but repeated complaints went unaddressed. “For a long time, we have been adding alum and boiling water before drinking,” she added. The loss of trust is so severe that even tea stall owners are using bottled water to reassure customers. “We are making tea using bottled water, but we haven’t increased prices,” said tea vendor Tushar Verma.

Meanwhile, the district administration has stepped up efforts to contain the outbreak and rebuild confidence. District Magistrate Shivam Verma said an information, education and communication (IEC) campaign is underway in Bhagirathpura through NGO workers, advising residents to boil water for at least 15 minutes and to use only drinking water supplied through municipal tankers. Chlorination of municipal pipelines and tube wells in the affected area is also in progress.

Health experts said chlorination remains one of the most effective methods to eliminate disease-causing pathogens and prevent water-borne infections. While the administration has officially confirmed six deaths, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava earlier indicated that 10 fatalities may be linked to the outbreak. Residents claim the toll is as high as 16, including a six-month-old infant. Indore draws its water from the Narmada river through pipelines from Jalud in neighbouring Khargone district, nearly 80 km away, with tap water supplied to households on alternate days. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday ordered the transfer of municipal commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav and the suspension of additional municipal commissioner Rohit Sissoniya and the in-charge superintendent engineer of the Public Health Engineering department, Sanjeev Shrivastava. In a status report submitted to the High Court, the state government said the diarrhoeal outbreak caused by contaminated water supply is now under effective control, with continuous monitoring in place to prevent any resurgence.(With agency inputs)