Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava on Friday said he has received information about 10 deaths linked to a diarrhoea outbreak caused by contaminated drinking water in the Bhagirathpura area of the city.
However, local residents have claimed that 14 people, including a six-month-old infant, have died due to the health crisis. The health department has not confirmed the residents’ claim.
“According to health department data, four people have died due to the diarrhoea outbreak in Bhagirathpura. However, I have received information about 10 deaths due to this outbreak,” Bhargava told PTI.
Responding to a query on the suspected spread of cholera based on preliminary test reports of drinking water samples, the mayor said that only the health department was authorised to provide details on the matter.
Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani said on Thursday that laboratory test reports from a city medical college confirmed contamination of drinking water in the locality due to a leakage in a pipeline. However, he did not share detailed findings of the report. Administrative officials have also refrained from providing specific information.
Officials said a leakage was detected in the main drinking water supply pipeline near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura, at a location where a toilet has been constructed. They said the leakage resulted in contamination of the water supply.
More than 1,400 people have been affected by vomiting and diarrhoea in the area over the past nine days.
According to a health department official, as of Thursday night, 272 patients had been admitted to hospitals, of whom 71 have been discharged. Of the 201 patients currently hospitalised, 32 are undergoing treatment in intensive care units
