Indore water contamination: Medical panel pegs death toll at 15

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

The panel of five doctors from the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Medical (MGM) College submitted a report to the State authorities confirming that 15 people had died, although the official figure remained at six.

‘Given as a reward’

Indore Divisional Commissioner Sudam Khade confirmed Hindu It was stated that an internal analysis report was received by the government. “The families of all the 15 people have already been given financial assistance of ₹ 2 lakh announced by the government,” he said. However, Mr Khade did not specify when the official death toll would be updated.

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

A Ministry of Health official said it was difficult for the committee to determine the exact causes of their deaths because most of the victims were cremated without autopsy. “The panel verified hospital records, including reasons for admission, treatments given and cause of death on death certificates. Their medical history was also taken into account to reach a conclusion,” the official said on condition of anonymity.

“There are many claims from the region, but it is not possible to include all of them in the official figures. Most of those who died were people with pre-existing diseases and died due to multiple organ failure,” the official added.

‘Water supply has been stopped’

Mr. Khade also said that despite the suspension of pipeline water supply in Bhagirathpura, civic body officials are currently testing the water quality at various stages. “It will be resumed as soon as all quality parameters are met,” he added.

The diarrheal epidemic in Bhagirathpura, a lower middle-class neighborhood, came to light on December 29, 2025. More than 3,000 people have been affected by water pollution so far. Water supplied to the area has been confirmed to carry a polymicrobial contamination suspected to be caused by leaks in decades-old water and sewer pipelines that run closely together in the area.