Indore Water Tragedy: Death Toll Rises to 19 as Top Officials Suspended in India’s ‘Cleanest City’

Indore is currently grappling with a public health emergency that has severely tarnished its reputation as India’s cleanest city. As of Saturday, January 3, 2026, the situation in the Bhagirathpura neighborhood has turned into a major political and administrative crisis.

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The thing is, while the city was winning awards for waste segregation, the actual infrastructure was literally rotting underground. Or nothing. Let’s be real, building a public toilet directly over a 30-year-old drinking water pipeline is a disaster waiting to happen. Those too.

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The “Contamination” Log: Field Notes

It’s an ongoing situation where the death toll is a moving target depending on who you ask.

• The Toll: Official government reports to the High Court confirm 4 to 5 deaths, but the Mayor has acknowledged 10, and local reports/opposition leaders are claiming the number has hit 15 to 19.

• The Victims: Among the dead is a five-month-old infant who was bottle-fed with tap water. His family, like many others, had been complaining about foul-smelling water for months.

• The Science: Lab tests from MGM Medical College confirmed “abnormal bacteria” typically found in human waste. There is a high suspicion of a cholera outbreak, though detailed culture reports are still pending.

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The “Cleanest City” Crackdown

And here’s the kicker: after years of accolades, the top brass is finally facing the music.

• Heads Roll: Late last night, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav ordered a massive shake-up.

  • Dilip Kumar Yadav (Municipal Commissioner) has been removed and shunted to a secretarial post.

  • Rohit Sisoniya (Additional Commissioner) and Sanjeev Srivastava (PHE Superintending Engineer) have been suspended for “gross negligence.”

• The “Tender” Scandal: It came out during the investigation that a tender to replace these exact pipes was floated in August 2025, but the work was stalled for four months for no clear reason.

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The Scene in Bhagirathpura

It’s an ongoing situation where the neighborhood feels like a ghost town. Over 200 people are still in hospitals, with 32 in the ICU.

• The Distrust: Even though the IMC is now sending tankers, people are terrified to touch the water.

• Door-to-Door: Health teams have screened nearly 50,000 people, identifying thousands with mild symptoms who are being treated on the spot.

Basically, Indore is a wake-up call for urban India. You can have the cleanest streets in the world, but if your pipes are mixing with your toilets, the awards don’t mean much.

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