Indore Water Outbreak Persists as New Cases Emerge, Court Steps In

Overview

• Health officials reported 23 new diarrhoea cases on Thursday in Bhagirathpura, with six hospitalisations, as total infections reported by different agencies range from over 1,500 to more than 3,300 and 446 cumulative hospital admissions.
• The death toll remains disputed, with the state citing as few as 8–10 deaths while the Indore administration has issued compensation to families of 18 deceased.
• The Madhya Pradesh High Court ordered immediate provision of safe drinking water and free medical screening and treatment, and summoned Chief Secretary Anurag Jain to brief the court on January 15.
• Testing has indicated faecal contamination, including E. coli, with officials citing polymicrobial infections and pointing to infrastructure failures such as a public toilet built above a supply pipeline and pipelines near open drains.
• Congress leaders demanded FIRs, higher compensation and an independent Supreme Court–level or judicial probe, after on-site audits reported foul-smelling Narmada water across multiple neighbourhoods and the party scheduled a January 11 ‘Nyay Yatra’ in Indore.