Indore, Jan 2 (.) Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava stated that he has received reports of 10 deaths in the Bhagirathpura area of the city, linked to a diarrhoea outbreak caused by contaminated water on Friday.
Local residents, however, claim that 14 people, including a six-month-old infant, have died as a result of the health crisis, but the health department has not confirmed this.
“While health department data reports four deaths from the diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura, I have received information indicating that 10 people have died due to this outbreak,” Bhargava stated.
When asked about a possible cholera outbreak in the area, based on preliminary test results of drinking water samples from Bhagirathpura, the mayor said that only the health department could provide information on the issue.
On Thursday, Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr. Madhav Prasad Hasani stated that laboratory tests conducted by a city medical college confirmed the drinking water in the area was contaminated due to a pipeline leakage.
However, the CMHO did not disclose the detailed findings of the report, and administrative officials have also been avoiding providing clear information on the matter.
Officials reported that a leak was discovered in the main drinking water pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a location where a toilet had been built. They stated that this leakage caused the water supply to become contaminated.
“Laboratory tests confirm bacterial contamination in the municipal water supply. Surveys find hundreds of families affected; many more recover with treatment,” a specialist in microbiology told ..
Over the past nine days, more than 1,400 people in Bhagirathpura have been affected by vomiting and diarrhoea.
A health department official reported that, as of Thursday night, 272 patients had been admitted to hospitals in the area, with 71 of them already discharged.
The official stated that out of the 201 patients still hospitalized, 32 are receiving treatment in intensive care units.
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