Indore Water Crisis: New Cases Emerge Amid Govt Claims of Action
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The Madhya Pradesh government's claims of containing the water-borne disease outbreak in Indore's Bhagirathpura have been contradicted by the hospitalization of six more patients with diarrhoea on Thursday. According to Indore's chief medical health officer, Madhav Prasad Hasnani, 23 diarrhoea patients visited outpatient wards at three hospitals, with six admitted due to severe symptoms. Since the outbreak began in December, over 1,500 people have been infected, 446 hospitalized, and 10 have died. The government has provided compensation to the families of 18 victims. However, test results on Thursday's cases have raised concerns, with officials attributing the outbreak to bacterial pathogens such as E coli, salmonella, and vibrio cholera. The government's claims of cleaning up the contaminated water supply have been questioned, particularly after it was found that over half of the groundwater samples from borewells in Bhagirathpura contained pathogens. The administration has banned street vendors from selling food in the affected areas and urged residents to avoid drinking water from the Narmada pipeline until it is flushed. Dr. Hasnani attributed Thursday's illnesses to 're-infections', stating that patients had not completed their medication, leading to recurring symptoms. However, this explanation has not alleviated concerns over the government's response to the outbreak, which has been under investigation for allegedly ignoring complaints of contaminated water for six months before the spate of deaths.
