Faulty pipelines, decades of civic lapses: Panel on Indore water contamination deaths

A commission appointed by the Madhya Pradesh High Court has said the water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura area, which claimed 35 lives, was not an isolated case of negligence but the result of failures that built up over decades at different levels.

In its final report submitted to the court, the one-member panel headed by former High Court judge Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta recommended a detailed departmental inquiry into the roles of the officials and other parties concerned. It also suggested compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the family of each person who died.

According to the parties involved in the case, the commission's report runs to more than 600 pages. It said water samples collected in Bhagirathpura contained bacteria such as E. coli and Total coliform, confirming contamination of drinking water. The report said the contaminated water led to the spread of water-borne diseases including gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration.

The commission said the sewerage pipeline laid in Bhagirathpura between 1990 and 1995 and the water supply pipeline laid between 1999 and 2004 did not meet Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation standards.

It said the improper placement of the two pipelines, leaks and other possible factors led to sewage mixing with drinking water in this part of Indore.

The outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water was reported in December 2025. Local residents and the Congress have claimed that 36 people died in the outbreak. Citing records, the commission said the supply of contaminated water in Bhagirathpura continued till February 6 this year.

It added that by February 12, the Health Department had received reports of 35 deaths in the area, of which 22 were considered possibly linked to the contaminated drinking water supply incident.

The report said the incident was caused by systemic deficiencies in the planning, maintenance, monitoring and supervision of the drinking water and sewerage network. It also noted administrative delays in the tender process for pipeline improvements.

The commission cited the Indore Municipal Corporation and the Indore Development Authority for not providing all records related to drinking water and sewage works, and recommended a separate investigation into the absence of original plans and other technical records.

Along with compensation of Rs 10 lakh for the family of each deceased, the panel recommended Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh for each critically ill patient. It also proposed setting up an independent State Urban Water Supply Authority and wider institutional reforms in the water supply system to prevent contaminated drinking water from being supplied in future.

The commission has concluded that the Bhagirathpura contamination episode stemmed from long-standing lapses in infrastructure and oversight, and has called for accountability, compensation and structural changes to prevent a repeat of such an incident.- Ends