Investigators have confirmed that contaminated drinking water caused the diarrhoea outbreak that killed at least nine people in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Laboratory tests found dangerous bacteria that are “generally found in sewer water” in samples collected from the affected area.

Health officials said the polluted water led to severe vomiting and diarrhoea among residents. The outbreak has raised serious concerns about water safety in Indore, a city that has ranked as India’s cleanest for eight consecutive years.

Dangerous Bacteria Found in Water Samples

Initial test reports detected the presence of Vibrio cholerae, Shigella, and E. coli in the drinking water. These bacteria are known to cause acute gastrointestinal infections. Patients often suffer from intense diarrhoea, vomiting, and dehydration.

The outbreak surfaced in Bhagirathpura, where residents began falling sick in large numbers. The findings confirmed that sewage contamination entered the drinking water supply.

How Sewage Mixed With Drinking Water

Indore’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani, said lab analysis at a city medical college clearly identified contaminated water as the source of the illness.

Officials traced the problem to a leakage in an underground pipeline. They found a major break in the main water supply line near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura. Reports suggest that a toilet had been built directly above the pipeline. This construction likely damaged the line and allowed sewage to seep into the drinking water.

Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey, who is leading the probe, said authorities are inspecting the entire water pipeline network in the area to check for more leaks.

Water Restored, But Caution Advised

After inspections, officials restored clean water supply to households on Thursday. However, Dubey urged residents to boil water before drinking it as a safety measure.

He added that fresh water samples have been collected and sent for testing. Authorities also plan to use lessons from the Bhagirathpura incident to frame a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the whole state. The aim is to prevent similar outbreaks in the future.

Complaints Ignored for Days

According to the administration, residents first complained about foul-smelling water around December 25. Some locals said the problem had existed for weeks before it became severe.

Initially, officials reported 14 deaths from the area. Later, they clarified that nine deaths were directly caused by diarrhoea linked to contaminated water. The remaining deaths involved co-morbidities or unrelated medical conditions.

Thousands Fall Ill Across the Area

The scale of the outbreak remains alarming. Officials said more than 2,400 people have reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea so far.

A health department survey conducted on Thursday covered 1,714 households and examined 8,571 people. Of these, 338 patients with mild symptoms received treatment at home.

Over the past eight days, 272 patients required hospital admission. Authorities have discharged 71 patients, while 201 remain hospitalised. Among them, 32 patients are in intensive care units, officials confirmed.

NHRC Steps In, Seeks Report

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken suo motu cognisance of the deaths. It issued a notice to the Madhya Pradesh government after reports said residents complained about contaminated water for several days without action.

The NHRC said the incident raises serious human rights concerns. It has asked the Madhya Pradesh chief secretary to submit a detailed report within two weeks.

Authorities on High Alert

Officials have intensified surveillance of Indore’s water supply system to prevent further outbreaks. They are also investigating possible lapses by officials and the poor condition of ageing pipelines.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav described the situation as an “emergency-like situation.” He assured strict action against those responsible. The chief minister visited hospitals in Indore to check on patients and later chaired a high-level meeting to review the crisis.