Madhya Pradesh: Three People Die in Due to “Contaminated Water”; CM Provides Free Treatment, Ex-Gratia
Madhya Pradesh: Residents in the Bhagirathpura neighborhood of Indore, the cleanest city in India for eight years in a row, are in distress due to a sudden epidemic of disease caused by suspected tainted drinking water, which has prompted immediate government action.
After drinking tap water from the Narmada River, over 60 individuals have been sent to hospitals over the last week due to severe symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach discomfort. Sadly, days after being treated with severe stomach problems, 70-year-old Nandlal Pal passed away on Tuesday morning at a private hospital due to illnesses.
Although authorities are awaiting test results to prove connections, family members directly blame the contaminated water for his declining health.
Two ladies have reportedly also passed away lately.
Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav used social media to express his deep sorrow over the situation, honoring the dead and wishing those receiving treatment a quick recovery. He promised that the state government will completely cover all patients’ medical costs, including reimbursements for previous payments, and offered an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the grieving family.
Kailash Vijayvargiya, a Cabinet Minister and local MLA, visited hospitals late on Monday to comfort impacted families and reaffirm the promise of free medical care.
Initial investigations suggest that the issue may have been caused by pollution in above tanks or a pipeline breach that occurred during adjacent excavation work.
Residents have expressed their annoyance, saying they have regularly complained to officials about the discolored and foul-smelling water, but they have not gotten a prompt response.
The opposition Congress retaliated by staging demonstrations outside the ward office and charging the municipal corporation of carelessness.
After inspecting the area on Tuesday, Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav of the Indore Municipal Corporation called an urgent review meeting with representatives from the Public Health Engineering department.
Supply pipes are being flushed and disinfected, and water samples have been sent for laboratory study.
Hospitals are still on high alert, according to the Chief Medical and Health Officer, who informed the media that around 60 admissions had been recorded across all institutions so far. He emphasized that although door-to-door health inspections continue to monitor the situation, no deaths have occurred from treatment gaps.
Concerns over water safety infrastructure in a city known for its cleanliness are brought up by the incident as investigations continue, highlighting the need of careful maintenance to avoid similar public health emergencies.