Vibrio cholerae, Shigella and E. coli were detected in water samples from Bhagirathpura in Indore, prompting an NHRC notice to the Madhya Pradesh government.
BY PC Bureau
January 2, 2026: Initial findings in the probe into the deaths of at least nine people in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore have confirmed that drinking water contaminated with sewage-borne bacteria triggered the severe vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak in the city.
Laboratory tests of water samples detected the presence of Vibrio cholerae, Shigella and Escherichia coli—pathogens commonly found in sewer water and known to cause acute gastrointestinal infections marked by diarrhoea and vomiting. Health officials said the contamination was responsible for the widespread illness reported from Bhagirathpura.
According to Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani, analysis conducted at a city-based medical college confirmed that contaminated drinking water was the source of the outbreak.
Officials said sewage entered the drinking water supply due to a leak in an underground pipeline. A major breach was identified in the main water supply line near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a spot where a toilet had reportedly been constructed above the pipeline. The leak is believed to have allowed sewage to mix with drinking water supplied to households in the area.
STORY | Water contamination behind diarrhoea outbreak in Indore, confirms lab test
A laboratory test has confirmed that a diarrhoea outbreak, which has killed at least four patients and affected over 1,400 people in Indore, was caused by contaminated drinking water, officials… pic.twitter.com/uiVF1fVO3r
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 2, 2026
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey, who is heading the probe committee, said the entire water pipeline network in Bhagirathpura is being inspected to identify any further leakages. He added that clean water supply was restored to affected homes on Thursday, though residents have been advised to boil water before consumption as a precaution.
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Fresh water samples have been collected and sent for testing, Dubey said, adding that lessons from the Bhagirathpura incident would be used to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the entire state to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.
Residents reportedly began complaining of foul-smelling water around December 25, though some locals claimed the problem had persisted for weeks before worsening. While 14 deaths were initially reported, authorities clarified that nine deaths were directly linked to diarrhoea caused by contaminated water, with the remaining cases attributed to co-morbidities or unrelated causes.
The scale of the outbreak remains significant. More than 2,400 people have reported symptoms so far. A health department survey covering 1,714 households examined 8,571 people, of whom 338 with mild symptoms were treated at home.
In the eight days since the outbreak began, 272 patients were hospitalised. Of these, 71 have been discharged, while 201 remain admitted, including 32 patients in intensive care units, officials said.
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the deaths and issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government, citing reports that residents’ complaints about contaminated water were not addressed promptly. The NHRC has sought a detailed report from the state’s chief secretary within two weeks, noting that the incident raises serious human rights concerns.
Authorities have intensified monitoring of Indore’s water supply system to prevent further outbreaks and are examining possible administrative lapses and the condition of ageing pipelines.
Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the situation as “emergency-like” and assured strict action against those found responsible. He visited hospitals to assess the condition of patients and later chaired a high-level meeting to review the crisis.
