“Kept Vomiting After Work”: Family Recounts Last Hours Of Indore Labourer Who Died In Water Contamination Tragedy

The ongoing drinking water contamination crisis in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area has left at least 10 people dead and more than 150 hospitalised, with grieving families recounting harrowing final moments of their loved ones. Among the victims was a daily-wage labourer whose brother said he began vomiting soon after returning home from work and never recovered.

Anil Likhar, the brother of the deceased, said his sibling fell ill on Sunday evening and continued to vomit over the next few days. On Wednesday evening, while Likhar was at his shop, he received an urgent call informing him that his brother’s condition had worsened. “We rushed him to the hospital, but the doctor said he had already died on the way,” he recalled.

The outbreak has plunged the locality into chaos, with municipal workers carrying out large-scale cleanliness drives and emergency measures being enforced. Laboratory tests have since confirmed that the diarrhoea outbreak was caused by contaminated drinking water, intensifying criticism of civic authorities in a city that has repeatedly been ranked the cleanest in the country.

Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister Rajendra Shukla said the state government is closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that all affected patients receive proper medical care. He added that the chief minister is personally visiting hospitals, meeting patients and their families, and staying in constant contact with doctors treating those affected. The government, he said, will also conduct a thorough investigation into how the contamination occurred.

Officials have stated that the deaths were caused by severe diarrhoea linked to bacterial contamination. Preliminary findings from water samples collected in the area revealed bacteria commonly found in sewer water. Authorities believe the contamination occurred due to a leakage in the main water pipeline, which runs beneath a toilet, allowing sewage to seep into the drinking water supply.

In response to the crisis, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has directed the state government to provide free treatment to all individuals suffering from symptoms after consuming contaminated water. A three-member inquiry committee, headed by IAS officer Navjeevan Panwar, has also been constituted to investigate the incident and fix responsibility.

As investigations continue, residents remain fearful and angry, demanding accountability for what they describe as a preventable tragedy that has cost lives and exposed serious flaws in the city’s water supply system.