According to the district health department, all 38 new patients reported to the local primary health centre, with six referred to higher facilities due to serious conditions. Since the outbreak began, 421 patients have been hospitalised, of whom 311 have been discharged after treatment.

Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr. Madhav Prasad Hasani said the administration has intensified surveillance to prevent further spread. Around 200 health teams have been deployed for door-to-door surveys, covering 2,745 households and nearly 14,000 residents. Five ambulances have been stationed in the area, while doctors have been placed on round-the-clock duty at MY Hospital, Aurobindo Hospital and Chacha Nehru Hospital.

The 17th fatality was reported on Sunday with the death of 69-year-old Omprakash Sharma, a retired police officer who was visiting Indore from Dhar. He was admitted to a private hospital on January 1 with vomiting and diarrhoea, later developing acute kidney failure. Despite intensive care and ventilator support, he died on Sunday afternoon. His family said he had no major pre-existing illness apart from high blood pressure.

Legal scrutiny of the crisis is set to intensify on Tuesday, when the Indore Bench of the High Court will hear three petitions together. These include two public interest litigations filed by High Court Bar Association president Ritesh Inani and advocate Manish Yadav, and a separate petition seeking restrictions on media reporting of the incident.

During an earlier hearing on January 2, the state government informed the court that four deaths had occurred at that stage, while the municipal corporation submitted a status report outlining emergency measures, including tanker-based water supply and disciplinary action against officials. The corporation has since suspended the Zone-4 zonal officer and an assistant engineer, and terminated the services of a sub-engineer. The court has directed the government to submit a comprehensive final report.

Meanwhile, political tensions have escalated. The Congress party announced candle marches across all 85 wards of Indore, accusing the administration of negligence and demanding accountability for the deaths.

With fresh cases still emerging, authorities said restoring safe water supply and completing a detailed investigation into the source of contamination remain critical to containing the crisis.