Indore Water Crisis: Half of Groundwater Samples Contaminated with E coli, 10 Dead
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A waterborne disease outbreak in Indore's Bhagirathpura locality has claimed at least 10 lives, prompting officials to declare an epidemic on Sunday. According to the Indore district collector, Shivam Verma, 35 out of 69 groundwater samples taken from borewells in the area have tested positive for E coli bacteria. The contamination was discovered after three people died in the area on December 29. Further testing revealed that tap water was contaminated with a cocktail of deadly pathogens, including E coli, Salmonella, and Vibrio cholerae bacteria, as well as viruses, fungi, and protozoa. The administration has banned the sale of food items by street vendors in the affected areas and advised residents to use water supplied by tankers after boiling it. Verma claims that the contamination is localized to damaged borewells and not in the groundwater itself. He added that 3,000 people have been affected and 327 have been hospitalized in the past 10 days. To contain the spread, the administration is repairing damaged borewells and chlorinating the remaining ones. A digital survey is also being launched to track the source of the water used by families. The incident highlights the need for improved water management and sanitation in the area.
