Indore Municipal Officials Removed After Water Contamination Deaths

Chief Minister Yadav said on Friday that immediate disciplinary and corrective steps had been ordered after a high-level review of the incident

02 Jan 2026, 10:52 · www.ndtv.com

Bhopal:

The Madhya Pradesh government has dismissed several high-ranking municipal officials in Indore following a contaminated water crisis that has claimed at least eleven lives and left dozens hospitalised.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Friday that immediate disciplinary and corrective steps had been ordered after a high-level review of the incident.

"This morning, I reviewed the actions being taken by the state government in the Indore contaminated drinking water case with the Chief Secretary and other officials, and issued necessary directions and guidelines. I also discussed the report presented by the Additional Chief Secretary (Urban Administration and Development)," the Chief Minister posted on X.

"I issued directions to the Indore Municipal Corporation Commissioner and Additional Commissioner to issue a show-cause notice in this regard, to immediately remove the Additional Commissioner from Indore, and to relieve the In-Charge Superintending Engineer of the charge of the Water Distribution Works Department. I also issued directions to immediately fill the necessary positions in the Indore Municipal Corporation with effect from now," he added.

Last evening, Chief Minister Yadav travelled to Indore, where he met residents who had been hospitalised after falling ill due to the consumption of contaminated drinking water. Soon after arriving from Umaria district, the Chief Minister visited Verma Hospital, where he interacted with more than a dozen patients undergoing treatment.

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava accompanied the Chief Minister during the visit. Yadav also spoke to doctors and medical staff to assess the condition of the patients and issued instructions to ensure proper medical care, monitoring, and availability of treatment for all those affected.

The State Urban Development Minister and senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya, who has been visiting affected localities since the outbreak unfolded on the eve of the New Year, was also present during the review.

At least 116 people had been admitted to various hospitals across Indore. Of these, 36 patients have been discharged after recovery. More than 100 people continue to receive treatment for symptoms including vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration, which doctors say are consistent with waterborne infections.

The Indore district administration said medical teams had been deployed for door-to-door screening in the affected areas. Officials said teams surveyed more than 2,700 households, covering around 12,000 residents. On-site primary treatment was provided to 1,146 people who showed mild symptoms, while those with severe symptoms were referred to hospitals.

In its status report submitted to the High Court earlier, the Madhya Pradesh government stated that only four deaths were caused by contaminated drinking water.

Chief Minister Yadav said that after taking strict action, the government is also implementing corrective measures across the state to prevent similar incidents. He has instructed concerned officials to prepare a time-bound action plan.

A virtual review meeting has been convened this evening with the mayors, chairpersons and commissioners of all 16 municipal corporations, district collectors, and officials from the Health Department, Urban Development Department, Public Health Engineering Department and other concerned departments. The situation across the state will be reviewed and further instructions will be issued.

The Indore Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court heard the matter on Thursday and took on record the status report submitted by the state government. The court has fixed January 6 as the next date of hearing.

Due to the winter vacation, the hearing was conducted from Jabalpur.

During the hearing, intervener Govind Singh Bais requested a ban on media reporting in the matter, a request on which the court did not make any observation.

Indore High Court Bar Association president Ritesh Inani, who has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the case, told the court that the status report had been sought to ascertain the exact number of patients and deaths. He pointed out that while the government report mentions four deaths, the actual number is believed to be between eight and fifteen. The report also does not contain details of compensation paid to the affected families.

A total of five petitions have been filed in connection with the case, and notices have been issued in one of them. Former corporator Mahesh Garg has also moved the court, demanding registration of criminal cases against the guilty officials, their arrest, and enhancement of compensation for the victims.

Separately, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken cognizance of the matter and has sought a detailed report from the Chief Secretary within two weeks.

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