Indore Water Tragedy: Municipal Commissioner And Senior Officials Removed After 10 Deaths

In the wake of a deadly water contamination incident in Indore, the Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav and several senior officials have been removed from their posts. The tragic event, which claimed the lives of 10 residents, prompted Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to take strict action against municipal authorities on Friday.

Alongside Commissioner Yadav, the Additional Commissioner of Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC), Rohit Sisonia, and the in-charge Superintending Engineer of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department, Sanjeev Shrivastava, have been suspended pending further investigation.

Taking to social media platform X, CM Mohan Yadav stated, “The state government will not tolerate any negligence leading to loss of lives, as witnessed in Bhagirathpura, Indore, due to contaminated drinking water. Strict action is being initiated against the officials responsible. The Additional Commissioner and PHE in-charge have been suspended, and the Municipal Commissioner has been removed from his position.”

The Chief Minister added that the government is implementing corrective measures statewide to prevent such incidents in the future. Officials have been instructed to prepare a time-bound action plan to ensure water safety across all municipalities.

Local residents report that 15 people, including a six-month-old infant, succumbed to illnesses caused by contaminated water in Bhagirathpura. However, the state health department has officially confirmed four deaths related to the outbreak, while Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava cited reports of 10 fatalities.

During a review meeting on the crisis, CM Yadav ordered show-cause notices to be issued to the Municipal Commissioner and Additional Commissioner for lapses in monitoring the water supply. Immediate removal of the Additional Commissioner from office and withdrawal of responsibilities from the PHE Superintendent Engineer were also directed. Yadav emphasized that new appointments be made promptly to fill the vacated positions in the municipal corporation.

The Chief Minister, accompanied by the Chief Secretary and other senior officials, reviewed the government’s actions to address the contaminated water issue and issued further instructions for preventive measures. The report presented by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Urban Administration and Development Department was also discussed during the meeting.

“Strict action has been taken against officials responsible for this tragedy, and simultaneous corrective steps are being implemented across other parts of the state,” CM Yadav stated. “A time-bound programme has been assigned to relevant officers to prevent recurrence.”

Following the directives, a zonal officer and an assistant engineer of IMC have already been suspended with immediate effect, and the services of an in-charge sub-engineer have been terminated, according to administration sources.

Over the past nine days, more than 1,400 residents of Bhagirathpura have reported vomiting and diarrhoea due to the contaminated water supply. Investigations revealed that a leakage in the main drinking water pipeline near a police outpost, which had a toilet constructed over it, caused the contamination. This breach in the pipeline allowed sewage to mix with the drinking water, triggering the outbreak.

Authorities have assured that immediate repair work and sanitization of water pipelines are underway, and citizens are being advised to consume only boiled or treated water until the situation is fully resolved.