Contaminated water in Indore's Bhagirathpura result of decades of systemic failure: Probe commission

Indore: The water contamination that claimed several lives in Indore's Bhagirathpura area was not an isolated instance of negligence but the cumulative consequence of decades of failures at various levels, the commission that probed the episode has said.

The one-member commission constituted by the Madhya Pradesh High Court to investigate the incident has concluded this in its final report submitted to the court, the parties involved in the case said on Wednesday.

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According to them, the commission, headed by former High Court judge Justice Sushil Kumar Gupta, has recommended a detailed departmental inquiry into the roles of the government officials concerned and other parties and a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each deceased.

The commission's more than 600-page report states that water samples collected in Bhagirathpura showed the presence of bacteria such as E. coli and Total coliform, confirming the contamination of the drinking water.

According to the report, this contaminated drinking water led to the spread of waterborne diseases, such as gastroenteritis, vomiting, diarrhoea, and dehydration.

The commission stated in its report that the sewerage pipeline laid between 1990 and 1995 in Bhagirathapura and the water supply pipeline laid between 1999 and 2004 did not conform to the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation standards.

According to the report, improper placement of the two pipelines, leaks, and other potential factors contributed to the contamination of sewage with drinking water in this part of Indore, the country's cleanest city.

The outbreak of illness due to contaminated drinking water supply in Bhagirathpura was reported in December 2025. Local residents and the Congress party have claimed that 36 people died in this outbreak.

Citing records, the commission's report said that the supply of contaminated water in Bhagirathpura continued until February 6 of the current year.

The report stated that the Health Department had received reports of 35 deaths in Bhagirathpura by February 12, and 22 of these deaths were considered possibly related to the contaminated drinking water supply incident.

The commission said in the report that the incident was a result of systemic deficiencies in the planning, maintenance, monitoring, and supervision of the drinking water and sewerage network.

The report also noted administrative delays in the tender process for pipeline improvements.

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

The panel recommended compensation of Rs 10 lakh to the families of each deceased and Rs 2 to Rs 3 lakh for each critically ill patient.

It also recommended the formation of an independent body called the State Urban Water Supply Authority and institutional reforms in the water supply system to prevent the supply of contaminated drinking water in future.