Indore contaminated water deaths: Municipal commissioner sacked; top officials, PHE engineer suspended

After 10 reported deaths, MP government cracks down on Indore civic body over contaminated water.

• IMC Commissioner removed, 2 senior officials suspended for water contamination deaths
• Over 1,400 affected in Indore's Bhagirathpura; death toll claims vary
• CM orders statewide corrective measures to prevent similar incidents

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The Madhya Pradesh government has removed Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav and suspended two senior officials after a contaminated drinking water outbreak in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area was linked to multiple deaths and a surge in illness.

Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said “negligence” would not be tolerated and announced disciplinary action as the state moves to roll out corrective measures beyond Indore to prevent similar incidents.

इंदौर के भागीरथपुरा में दूषित पेयजल के कारण हुई घटना में राज्य सरकार लापरवाही बर्दाश्त नहीं करेगी। इस संबंध में कठोर निर्णय लिये जा रहे हैं। निगम के अपर आयुक्त रोहित सिसोनिया, पीएचई के प्रभारी अधीक्षण यंत्री संजीव श्रीवास्तव को निलंबित किया गया है। इंदौर नगर निगम आयुक्त दिलीप…

— Dr Mohan Yadav (@DrMohanYadav51) January 2, 2026

What action the government has taken

Along with the IMC commissioner’s removal, the government suspended:

Additional Commissioner Rohit Sisonia and Sanjeev Shrivastava, in-charge superintending engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department

In a post on X, CM Mohan Yadav said strict decisions were being taken over the “contaminated drinking water” incident in Bhagirathpura and confirmed the removals and suspensions.

Officials said more action has followed on the ground: a zonal officer and an assistant engineer have been suspended with immediate effect, while the services of an in-charge sub-engineer have been terminated.

Death toll: competing claims, official confirmation still lower

The deaths figure remains contested.

Local residents have claimed 15 deaths, including a six-month-old baby.

The health department has confirmed four deaths linked to the outbreak.

Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said he received information of 10 deaths.

The gap between what residents say, what the mayor cites, and what the health department has confirmed is likely to sharpen scrutiny of how the outbreak was tracked and reported.

Over 1,400 people affected in nine days

Officials said more than 1,400 people have reported symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea in Bhagirathpura over the last nine days, a scale that suggests widespread contamination in the local supply line rather than isolated cases.

What may have caused the contamination

Authorities have pointed to a physical fault in the system.

Officials said a leakage was found in the main drinking water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a spot where a toilet has been constructed. The leakage allegedly led to contamination of the drinking water being supplied to residents.

The investigation is expected to focus on how long the leakage went undetected, whether warning signs were missed, and what monitoring mechanisms failed.

CM orders statewide prevention plan

CM Mohan Yadav said the state is not treating the Indore incident as a one-off. He has instructed officials to prepare a time-bound programme for corrective steps across Madhya Pradesh, and directed that necessary appointments in the municipal corporation be made immediately.

He also said he reviewed the government’s response with the chief secretary and senior officials, including discussion of a report presented by the additional chief secretary of the Urban Administration and Development Department.