Centre has taken note of water contamination incident in Indore, Minister informs Rajya Sabha

The Center has taken note of the water pollution incident in Indore’s Bhagirath Pura and is supporting the States through financial and technical response schemes such as AMRUT and AMRUT 2.0, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Monday, February 2, 2026.

In a written reply to a question, Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Tokhan Sahu said there were old pipelines in the area dating back to 1997, adding, “Some of them were damaged, so the municipal government identified the old sections of the pipeline and brought them under the ambit of AMRUT 2.0.”

Many people have died due to diarrhea and vomiting in Indore’s Bhagirath Pura since the end of December.

The Minister said that the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has tendered four packages of water supply projects for Indore city under AMRUT 2.0, out of which the implementation of Package-1 has started and the remaining three packages are at the approval stage.

The project covers the entire water supply chain and includes comprehensive overhaul, strengthening and modernization of the existing water supply system, covering source development, treatment, transmission, storage and city-wide distribution.

All packages include system integration, commissioning and long-term operation and maintenance to ensure a safe, reliable and sustainable drinking water supply for the urban area.

The minister said water is a State subject and the Union government is supporting the States’ efforts through recommendations and infrastructure funding.

Mr. Sahu said the State government has informed urban local bodies that standard operating procedures (SOPs) have been issued to prevent contamination of water.

“To date, about 14,181 leaks have been detected and 12,634 of them have been repaired. Out of 3,298 overhead tanks in the state, 3,109 have been cleared.

In his written response, the Minister said, “Similarly, 179 of 21 thousand 215 wells were determined to be dirty, and 86 wells were closed for use. Regular testing of water quality is ensured. While a total of 656 water samples out of 80 thousand 976 samples were found to be defective, action was initiated at 588 points where pollution was detected.”

According to him, three drinking water supply schemes worth ₹ 541 crore and two sewerage schemes worth ₹ 278 crore have been implemented for Indore city under AMRUT, the State government informed.

There are also two water supply schemes worth ₹1,142 crore and four sewerage schemes worth ₹534 crore approved under AMRUT 2.0, he said and added that two water supply schemes worth ₹1,121.54 crore have been implemented by the municipal corporation.