13 Dead, 1500 Hospitalised, No One Punished: Indore Water Poisoning Cover-Up Crumbles

Indore water contamination tragedy has shaken the nation, with grieving families in Bhagirathpura insisting the toll has climbed to 13 lives, even as ministers continue to downplay the crisis by officially admitting only nine deaths. The widening gap between ground reports and government figures has triggered outrage, with locals accusing the administration of hiding the scale of the disaster and opposition leaders calling it “criminal negligence.” 

Residents say the tragedy was long in the making. Complaints about dirty water had been ignored for months, and now the consequences are devastating. The crisis became painfully personal with the death of a six‑month‑old boy. His mother, Sadhna Sahu, recounted how her baby fell ill with vomiting and diarrhoea after being fed formula milk mixed with tap water. Despite treatment at Apollo Hospital, the child,  born after a decade‑long wait, did not survive. Her older daughter is also sick. “My child is gone. Who knows how many more children will suffer the same fate?” she cried. 

As families mourned, images of local leaders at leisure events surfaced online, fuelling anger. A video showed ward councillor Kamal Waghela swinging in a garden, while Water Works in‑charge Bablu Sharma was photographed serving food at a gathering. For residents watching loved ones die, these visuals symbolised the disconnect between leaders and the suffering of their people. 

Hospitals across Indore are overwhelmed. More than 1,500 patients have been admitted, with 26 in intensive care, yet Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and the Indore Collector continue to cite only four deaths officially. Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya has promised compensation of Rs 2 lakh for families of the deceased and announced emergency measures like tankers, chlorine distribution, and temporary wards. 

But for Bhagirathpura’s residents, such assurances ring hollow. They point to repeated failures in Madhya Pradesh’s public health system from poisoned water to the shocking deaths of newborns bitten by rats at Indore’s Maharaja Yeshwantrao Hospital just months ago. 

The irony is bitter: Indore, celebrated year after year as India’s “cleanest city,” is now drowning in headlines of poisoned taps and hospital negligence. For grieving families, the tragedy is not just about contaminated water, it is about a government they believe chose to cover up rather than confront the truth. 

Read More: 7 Dead, 116 Hospitalised After Drinking Contaminated Water In Indore: Who's Responsible?