Indore Water Crisis: CM Visits Victims as Death Toll Rises, High Court Steps In

Soon after arriving in Indore from Umaria district, the Chief Minister visited Verma Hospital, where he interacted with over a dozen affected patients undergoing treatment. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava accompanied the Chief Minister during the hospital visit, which continued late into the night.

During the visit, Chief Minister Yadav also interacted with doctors and medical staff to take stock of the health condition of the patients and issued necessary instructions to officials present to ensure proper treatment and monitoring of the situation.

State Urban Development Minister and local BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who has been visiting affected areas and overseeing the response to the health crisis that unfolded on the eve of the New Year, was also present.

Meanwhile, the Madhya Pradesh Congress constituted a five-member committee on Wednesday to assess the situation. The committee includes two former state Urban Development Ministers, Sajjan Singh Verma and Jaivardhan Singh, and has been tasked with meeting affected residents and submitting a report by January 5, 2026.

In another development, the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on Wednesday, directed the state government to submit a status report on the incident by January 2.

A bench comprising Justices Rajesh Kumar Gupta and B.P. Sharma sought a detailed report on the inquiry being conducted by a team of senior officials and medical experts into the contaminated drinking water supply in the Bhagirathpura area.

"The bench has sought a status report from the government within two days and fixed the matter for further hearing on January 2," Indore High Court Bar Association President Ritesh Inani told IANS.

Earlier in the day, Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said at least seven deaths had been reported till Wednesday afternoon. "We are closely monitoring the situation. A detailed report will be released later. At present, our priority is ensuring timely and proper treatment for all affected persons," he said.

As of Wednesday, 116 people had been admitted to hospitals across Indore, of whom 36 have been discharged after recovery. More than 100 people remain under treatment for symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.

According to the Indore district administration, medical teams deployed for door-to-door screening have surveyed over 2,700 households, covering around 12,000 residents, and provided on-site primary treatment to 1,146 people with mild symptoms.

Preliminary findings have traced the outbreak to a leakage in the main Narmada water supply pipeline, where sewage reportedly mixed with drinking water due to a nearby toilet structure.

- IANS