Indore’s “cleanest city” title is taking a massive beating right now. As of Tuesday, January 6, 2026, the water contamination crisis in Bhagirathpura has turned into a full-blown public health emergency.1 While the official death toll hit 7 yesterday, the ground reality is a lot more chaotic—locals are claiming as many as 17 people have died.2 Or nothing. Let’s be real, when people are dying from tap water in a city that wins cleanliness awards every year, something is fundamentally broken. Those too.
Add businessleague.in as a Preferred Source
Also Read |Tamil Nadu Voter List Purge: 97 Lakh Names Deleted in SIR Phase 1
The “Bhagirathpura Outbreak” Log: Field Notes
It’s an ongoing situation where the administration is trying to play catch-up with a spread that’s already in the ICUs.
The New Numbers: At least 38 fresh cases popped up on Monday.3 Right now, 110 people are in hospital beds, and 15 of them are in the ICU fighting for their lives.4
The Source of Poison: It turns out a toilet was built right over a leaky water main near a police check-post.5 Sewage basically siphoned straight into the drinking water.6
The High Court Hammer: The MP High Court just observed today that this has brought “disrepute” to the city and reminded the state that Article 21 includes the right to clean water.
The “Ghanta” Row: Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya is in hot water after an insensitive remark to a journalist.7 A Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) even got suspended for accidentally copying the Congress’s criticism of the Minister into an official government order.8 Messy.
Inside the Relief Ops: January 6, 2026
Also Read |Tamil Nadu Voter List Purge: 97 Lakh Names Deleted in SIR Phase 1
[Table: Emergency Response Status]
| Metric | Status / Action |
| Household Survey | 200 teams using the Kobo Tool for real-time tracking. |
| Medical Support | 5 ambulances on standby; free treatment at M.Y. and Aurobindo. |
| Water Safety | Chlorine tablets and “Clean Water” droppers distributed to 2,745 homes. |
| Directives | Residents told to boil water and add 10 drops of chlorine per 10 liters. |
The Trust Deficit
And here’s the kicker: residents have completely stopped trusting the municipal taps.9 Even with the tankers coming in, people are shell-shocked. One resident mentioned his 15-year-old daughter and 93-year-old mother both fell ill on the same day.
The thing is, a tender to fix these 20-year-old pipes had been gathering dust since August.10 It was only signed on December 26—exactly when the first deaths started being reported. It’s an ongoing situation, and with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) now breathing down the Chief Secretary’s neck, the political fallout is just beginning.
Also Read |Tamil Nadu Voter List Purge: 97 Lakh Names Deleted in SIR Phase 1
End…
Add businessleague.in as a Preferred Source
