Top News

Indore: 22 hospitalized after drinking contaminated water
23 Jan 2026

Weeks after at least 15 people died and hundreds were hospitalized by water-borne diseases, 22 people have fallen ill in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, after consuming contaminated water, with nine hospitalized.

The cases were mostly reported from the Mhow area, where residents fell ill due to tainted drinking water.

Nine of them are admitted to the hospital, while others are under home care with medical supervision.

The number of affected is likely to exceed as further cases emerge from neighboring areas.

Authorities respond to Indore's water contamination crisis
Official response

The local administration took immediate action late Thursday night after reports of the outbreak emerged.

District Collector Shivam Verma visited affected patients and supervised the response efforts.

Health teams were also deployed to the Mhow area for on-ground investigation and treatment.

A health department team has been providing immediate medical assistance since Friday morning, closely monitoring the situation in affected neighborhoods.

Survey launched to identify new cases in Indore
Ongoing investigation

A survey was launched on Saturday morning in affected neighborhoods to identify new cases and categorize patients based on the severity of symptoms.

In December 2025, severe contamination occurred in the water supply, which officially claimed 15 lives.

However, media reports quoted residents claiming the death toll is higher, with around 25 people succumbing to vomiting and diarrhea.

High court petition over Indore's water contamination crisis
Legal action

The issue has reached the Madhya Pradesh High Court, with the government constituting a high-level committee to probe the drinking water contamination.

The committee is tasked with fixing accountability and recommending measures to prevent future occurrences.

However, petitioners alleged in the High Court that the committee is merely an "eyewash" aimed at protecting senior officials responsible for the crisis.

Bacterial contamination identified as cause of waterborne disease outbreak
Contamination source

A government assessment revealed bacterial contamination of drinking water was responsible for a widespread infection.

Contaminated water was found in 51 tube wells in Bhagirathpura, with E coli bacteria confirmed in test reports.

The local administration has provided a compensation of ₹21 lakh to the families of 21 affected people.