India's Cleanest City, Indore, Hit by Diarrhoea Outbreak; 1,400 Affected, 8 Dead
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey said authorities are inspecting the entire pipeline network.
India’s Cleanest City, Indore, Hit by Diarrhoea Outbreak; 1,400 Affected, 8 Dead
Ranked India’s cleanest city eight times, Indore is facing a severe public health crisis as a major diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water has affected over 1,400 people and killed at least eight.
A laboratory test conducted by a city-based medical college confirmed that the outbreak was caused by contamination in the drinking water supply in the Bhagirathpura area of the Madhya Pradesh commercial hub. According to the city’s Chief Medical and Health Officer, Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani, the contamination stemmed from a leak in the main water pipeline near a police outpost where a toilet has been constructed, allowing sewage to enter the potable water system.
Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey said authorities are inspecting the entire pipeline network and have supplied clean water to households as a stop-gap measure while advising residents to boil water before use. He said samples have been sent for further testing, and a standard operating procedure (SOP) for the state will be issued to prevent similar incidents.
A door-to-door health survey examined 8,571 people across 1,714 households; 338 with mild symptoms received primary treatment at home. As per health department officials, 272 patients were hospitalised during the eight-day outbreak, with 201 still admitted, including 32 in intensive care units.
Authorities are under pressure to improve water safety and infrastructure in a city long celebrated for cleanliness.
Source: Times of India