According to Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Hasani, bacteriological tests have clearly linked the outbreak to contaminated water supplied in the locality. “The lab report confirms that unsafe drinking water is the cause. Detailed culture tests are underway to identify the exact bacteria involved,” he said.

District Collector Shivam Verma stated that the contamination occurred due to sewage water entering the drinking water pipeline. A leakage was detected in a pipeline passing beneath a toilet constructed near a police outpost in Bhagirathpura. “Repair work has begun and the affected pipeline section has been isolated,” Verma said, adding that further action will be taken after the final test report.

Urban Administration Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, who visited the area on Thursday, acknowledged that the situation had worsened due to sewage mixing with potable water. His visit, however, was marked by public anger. Families of the deceased refused to accept compensation cheques of ₹2 lakh, alleging that complaints about dirty water had been ignored for nearly two years.

The crisis has drawn national attention, with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) taking cognisance of the matter and issuing a notice to the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary, seeking a detailed report within two weeks.

Health officials reported that a door-to-door survey of 1,714 houses was conducted, covering 8,571 residents. So far, 272 patients have been admitted to hospitals since the outbreak began. Of these, 71 have been discharged, while 201 remain admitted, including 32 in intensive care units. Medical teams have also provided first aid to 338 people at the site.

Experts say sewage-contaminated water can carry dangerous pathogens such as E. coli, Shigella, Salmonella and cholera bacteria, any of which can trigger severe gastrointestinal infections and organ failure if untreated.

Additional Chief Secretary Sanjay Dubey arrived in Indore to probe the incident, directing random water sampling across the city and ordering accountability for lapses. Meanwhile, Indore MP Shankar Lalwani announced the approval of 10 new borewells in Bhagirathpura to ensure an alternative drinking water supply.

As investigations continue, residents await both relief and accountability amid one of the city’s most serious public health crises in recent years.