E. Coli Found In Bhopal Groundwater Amid Indore Water Contamination Deaths

Groundwater samples from several parts of Bhopal, including Khanugaon, Adampur Cantonment and Vajpayee Nagar, have tested positive for E. coli bacteria, prompting authorities to ban the use of groundwater in the affected areas.

Officials told NTDV that four samples collected from these localities failed quality tests, confirming bacterial contamination. The development has raised concern as the same pathogen was recently detected in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area, where contaminated water was linked to 20 deaths.

The Bhopal Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the contamination is limited to groundwater sources and has not affected the city’s treated piped water supply. As a precaution, the civic body has intensified monitoring and recently tested water samples

from more than 1,500 locations across the city. Contamination was found at only four points, officials said.

BMC authorities added that water supply lines in the affected areas have already been replaced or diverted to ensure residents continue to receive safe drinking water. “The purpose of this exercise is not to create fear, but to ensure that our system remains foolproof. We are testing water from source to tap,” Municipal Commissioner Sanskriti Jain said.

Water drawn from major sources including the Narmada, Kolar, Upper Lake (Bada Talab) and Kerwa is treated at filtration plants and re-tested at the household level, officials said. As an added safety measure, even 264 tube wells that are currently not in use have been tested.

Health experts warn that the presence of E. coli in water typically indicates contamination from sewage or organic waste. Consumption of such water can cause severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea, vomiting and, in extreme cases, life-threatening complications.

Officials, however, acknowledged that long-term structural issues remain a major challenge. In at least 22 wards, nearly 400 km of water pipelines run parallel to sewer lines, affecting around five lakh residents in densely populated areas such as Navibagh and the Govindpura Industrial Area. Many of these ageing iron pipelines have exceeded their lifespan and are vulnerable to leaks, increasing the risk of sewage contamination.

Replacing the old infrastructure is estimated to cost around ₹500 crore. Currently, about 75,000 of Bhopal’s 2.71 lakh tap connections require replacement. Under the AMRUT 2.0 scheme, work is underway to lay 750 km of new pipelines across the city to address these risks.