At Least Seven Dead, Scores Ill After Sewage Mix in Indore Supply
Indore Water Crisis Draws NHRC Notice to MP Government
New Delhi/Indore: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, has taken suo motu cognisance of reports relating to the death of at least seven persons and the hospitalisation of more than 40 others after consuming contaminated drinking water in the Bhagirathpura area of Indore district, Madhya Pradesh. The incident is reported to have occurred on 31 December 2025, following which a large number of residents from the locality complained of acute illness linked to the water supply.
According to information that prompted the Commission’s intervention, residents of Bhagirathpura had been raising concerns for several days about foul-smelling and visibly contaminated water being supplied to households in the area. Despite these complaints, no immediate corrective action was reportedly taken by the concerned authorities, and the supply continued until cases of serious illness began to emerge.
Media reports indicated that the main drinking water pipeline supplying the locality passes beneath a public toilet and had developed a leakage, allowing sewage to mix with potable water. In addition, several distribution lines in the area were reportedly damaged, further facilitating the spread of contaminated water into residential connections. These infrastructural failures are believed to have contributed directly to the outbreak.
Following the incident, those affected were admitted to government and private hospitals in Indore, where they were treated for symptoms consistent with severe waterborne infections, including vomiting, diarrhoea and dehydration. Health authorities stated that the condition of most hospitalised patients stabilised after medical intervention, though several remained under observation as of the latest updates.
Taking note of the gravity of the situation, the NHRC observed that the contents of the report, if found to be correct, raise serious issues relating to the violation of the human rights of the victims. The Commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, calling for a detailed report on the matter within two weeks. The report has sought to include the status of the hospitalised persons, the sequence of events leading to the contamination, responsibility for the lapse, and steps taken to prevent recurrence.
The Commission’s intervention is grounded in its long-standing position that access to safe drinking water is integral to the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution. While the Constitution does not explicitly list the water right, the NHRC has consistently treated the supply of safe and potable water as inseparable from the rights to health, dignity and humane living conditions, particularly where state or municipal agencies are responsible for water distribution.
In earlier cases involving sewage contamination, chemical pollution and outbreaks of waterborne diseases, the NHRC has examined whether civic authorities acted on early warnings, public complaints or visible indicators of contamination. Where such signals were ignored, the Commission has viewed the failure not merely as an administrative lapse but as a potential breach of the duty of care owed to residents.
The NHRC has also repeatedly emphasised that responsibility in such cases is shared among state governments, urban local bodies and public health agencies. Past interventions have highlighted systemic issues such as ageing pipelines, inadequate separation of sewage and drinking water networks, weak monitoring mechanisms and delayed maintenance, all of which have been cited as recurring contributors to similar tragedies.
Another consistent element of the Commission’s scrutiny in water-related incidents has been the adequacy of emergency medical response. The NHRC has previously assessed whether hospitals were prepared to handle sudden outbreaks, whether treatment was provided promptly and without discrimination, and whether health surveillance systems detected the crisis early enough to limit fatalities.
Although the NHRC does not adjudicate criminal or civil liability, it has, in several past cases, recommended compensation to victims’ families and corrective administrative action against erring officials. These recommendations have often been accompanied by directions for long-term measures such as regular water quality testing, pipeline audits and strengthened grievance redress systems.
In the Indore case, the Commission’s notice signals that the focus of inquiry is likely to extend beyond the immediate cause of contamination to include questions of prior warnings, preventive oversight and institutional accountability. As the state government prepares its response, the incident has once again drawn attention to the fragile state of urban water infrastructure and the continuing human rights implications of failures in essential public services.
– global bihari bureau
