Indore water contamination: No consensus on death toll as locals, CM & Mayor offer different figures
Cases of people suffering from diarrhea and vomiting were first reported in the city’s Bhagirathpura area a week ago. While residents claimed 13 people had died so far, including a six-month-old child, authorities said only four deaths had been confirmed.
After visiting the affected area on Wednesday, CM Yadav put the death toll at four. Hours later, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed that seven people had died.
Because of these different figures, confusion about the death toll still persists.
Officials said preliminary assessment indicated that drainage water had entered the drinking water pipeline due to leakage, triggering the outbreak in Bhagirathpura.
Bhagirathpura falls under the Indore-1 assembly constituency of the state’s Urban Development and Housing Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya.
Speaking to reporters, Vijayvargiya said that 1,400 to 1,500 people were affected by the epidemic, and about 200 of them were hospitalized. All admitted patients are out of danger and are consistently discharged as their condition improves, he said.
Regarding the changing death figures, Vijayvargiya said, “Administrative authorities have informed me that four people have died due to this epidemic, but there is information here (in Bhagirathpura) about eight to nine deaths. We will verify this information and if found to be correct, financial assistance will be provided to the families of the deceased, as announced by CM Mohan Yadav.” Meanwhile, Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey visited Bhagirathpura district along with local officials to review the situation.
Water supply was restored in Bhagirathpura on Thursday after the leak in the drinking water pipeline was repaired and water samples were collected from houses and sent for testing, officials said. PTI
