Daijiworld Media Network - Indore
Indore, Jan 8: The full scale of the contaminated water tragedy in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore district has come to light for the first time, with government records revealing that compensation has been paid to the families of 18 deceased persons, even as the official death toll presented earlier stood at eight.
According to information accessed by The Indian Express, several residents of Bhagirathpura area in Indore died between December 24, 2025, and January 6, 2026, after allegedly consuming contaminated drinking water. Initially, contamination was attributed to a public toilet operating without a mandatory septic tank. However, authorities are now probing whether illegal or faulty borewell connections may have led to the water pollution.
Official records show that the Indore district administration has distributed cheques of ?2 lakh each to 18 affected families. One additional family is yet to receive compensation, with officials assisting them in opening bank accounts and completing necessary documentation. This revelation comes a day after the state government informed the Madhya Pradesh High Court that the death toll was eight.
Responding to the issue, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Wednesday said that the focus should not be on numbers. “Even the loss of a single life is extremely painful for us. Therefore, we don’t delve into statistics. The administration follows its own procedures. Generally, only cases where post-mortems were conducted are considered in official figures,” he stated.
Earlier on Tuesday, a Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court comprising Justice Vijay Kumar Shukla and Justice Alok Awasthi sharply criticised the state government over the discrepancy in death figures. The court also expressed displeasure over the handling of the incident, observing that the insensitive response had brought disrepute to Indore, widely regarded as one of India’s cleanest cities, and attracted national and international attention.
Explaining the variation in numbers, a senior government official said some families did not opt for post-mortems. “The local administration, along with senior leaders including Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, decided to provide compensation to all reported deaths without waiting for the final audit. A detailed death audit is currently underway to ascertain the actual toll,” the official said.
The incident has raised serious concerns over civic infrastructure, water safety, and accountability, even as investigations into the exact cause of contamination continue.