Indore: A laboratory test has confirmed that the drinking water was contaminated with sewer bacteria caused the vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak in Indore that has claimed
at least 17 lives and affected more than 1,400 people, officials said on Thursday.
The samples of water supplied from the Narmada pipeline in Bhagirathpura were found to contain bacteria such as faecal coliform, E coli and Klebsiella, which are known to cause vomiting and diarrhoea. Sources said that some samples also showed the presence of elements like Vibrio cholerae, the bacteria associated with cholera.
So far, 80 water samples have been tested and reports for some of them have already been received. According to officials, the detailed laboratory reports are expected to take another one to two days.
The findings have raised serious questions about the safety of the city’s drinking water system. Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s commercial capital, has been ranked India’s cleanest city for the past eight consecutive years.
Water contaminated due to leakage at spot under toilet
Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani, said a laboratory report prepared by a city-based medical college established that the water supply in the Bhagirathpura area was contaminated due to a pipeline leakage. The outbreak was first reported from this locality.
Authorities said the leakage was detected in the main drinking water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura at a spot over which a toilet has been constructed. Officials believe the leakage led to contamination of the water flowing through the pipeline and supplied to nearby households.
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey said that the entire drinking water supply line in Bhagirathpura is being inspected to check for further leaks. After inspection, clean water was supplied to households through the pipeline on Thursday. As a precaution, residents have been advised to boil water before consuming it.
Dubey added that fresh samples of the water have been collected and sent for testing. He said the state government would also issue a standard operating procedure (SOP) across Madhya Pradesh to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The senior bureaucrat visited Bhagirathpura to assess the situation on the instructions of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
According to a health department official, a door-to-door survey of 1,714 households was conducted in the area on Thursday. During the exercise, 8,571 people were examined. Of them, 338 people showing mild symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea were treated at their homes.
In the eight days since the outbreak began, 272 patients have been admitted to hospitals. So far, 71 have been discharged. At present, 201 patients remain hospitalised, including 32 who are being treated in intensive care units.
A BJP councillor from Bhagirathpura told TV9 that 15 people have lost their lives so far, while one person remains in critical condition.
NHRC issues notice to MP govt
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) said the Indore water contamination incident raises serious concerns about violations of the victims’ human rights. The commission has issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government’s chief secretary, seeking a detailed report on the matter within two weeks.
Earlier, the CM expressed sorrow over the tragedy and announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those who died. He also said the state government would bear the full cost of treatment for all affected patients.
