Groundwater Contamination

Amid conflicting death figures in the Indore water contamination case, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said on Wednesday that his government won't dive into data and instead stand with everyone. The loss of even a single life is extremely painful for us. Therefore, we don't delve into statistics. It's a different matter that the administration follows its own procedures. Generally, only those cases where post-mortems were performed were considered valid figures, he said. The confusion over the number of deaths due to contaminated water in Indore's Bhagirathpura area continued after the district administration distributed compensation cheques to the kin of 18 victims on Tuesday, while maintaining the official figure at seven. This is a very sad incident. No matter who the people are, when it comes to providing relief, we will not look at the figures; we will stand with everyone, Yadav told reporters when asked about the exact death toll due to contaminated water in ...

Madhya Pradesh recorded 40 cases of bacteriological contamination in water samples in 2025-26 as of January 2, 2026, accounting for 0.15 per cent of all cases in the country

As many as 142 people are currently hospitalised amid an outbreak of diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water in Indore, including 11 in ICUs, even as 20 new patients were detected during screening of over 9,000 people in Bhagirathpura area, the ground zero of infection. Health teams examined 9,416 individuals from 2,354 households during an ongoing survey in Bhagirathpura, where six persons have lost their lives due to contaminated water, and identified 20 fresh cases, officials said on Sunday. According to officials, 398 patients had been admitted to hospitals so far following the outbreak. Of them, 256 patients have been discharged after recovery. They stated that 142 patients are currently undergoing treatment in hospitals, including 11 admitted to intensive care units (ICUs). The outbreak is under control now, they added. Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Haasani said a team from the Kolkata-based National Institute for Research in Bacterial Infections

The water contamination incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura has sparked widespread criticism after it claimed several lives and affected many families

Six people have died and more than 200 were hospitalised in an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, a senior official said on Saturday. Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava had on Friday said that he had received information about the deaths of 10 patients due to the outbreak, while residents of the Bhagirathpura area have claimed that 16 people, including a six-month-old child, have died. "At present, 203 patients are undergoing treatment in 41 hospitals across the city and six people have died," Collector Shivam Verma told PTI Videos. Of the patients admitted to hospitals, 34 are in the intensive care units (ICUs), and their treatment is being monitored specially. The Madhya Pradesh government has shunted out the Indore municipal commissioner and suspended two senior officials in view of the health crisis that emerged in the Bhagirathpura area. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Friday said he has ordered the "removal"

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday targeted the BJP's double-engine government in Madhya Pradesh after at least 10 people died allegedly due to contaminated water in Indore and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is always silent whenever poor die. Gandhi alleged that Madhya Pradesh has become the epicentre of misgovernance and cited various instances of casualties reportedly due to cough syrups, poor hygiene at government hospitals and now due to contaminated water. "Not water, but poison was distributed in Indore, and the administration remained in deep slumber," he said in a post on X in Hindi. "Every home is filled with mourning, the poor are helpless - and on top of that, BJP leaders are making arrogant statements. Those who lost their lives and livelihoods needed solace; the government offered arrogance," he said. Senior MP cabinet minister Kailash Vijayvargiya on Thursday triggered a controversy after he used an objectionable word on camera ghanta (loosely translating to

As Indore grapples with a water contamination crisis, health experts break down safe water practices, symptoms to watch for, and when diarrhoea and vomiting require hospital care

The chaos over the contaminated water crisis in Indore's Bhagirathpura has claimed at least four lives and left several ill

Conflicting claims over the number of deaths caused by consumption of contaminated water in Indore continued on Thursday, with residents claiming 13 fatalities, a day after Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav put the toll at four, while the city Mayor said seven persons lost life. Cases of people suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting were first reported in the Bhagirathpura area of the city a week back. Local residents claimed that 13 people, including a six-month-old child, have died so far, while officials said only four deaths have been confirmed. After visiting the affected area on Wednesday, CM Yadav pegged the death toll at four. Hours later, Indore Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava confirmed seven deaths. The confusion over the death toll still continues due to these different numbers. Officials said a preliminary assessment indicated that drainage water entered the drinking water pipeline due to leakage, triggering the outbreak in Bhagirathpura. Bhagirathpura falls under ..

Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya lost his temper while responding to media questions on the contaminated drinking water incident in Indore's Bhagirathpura area and used an objectionable word on camera. As the controversy escalated, the MP cabinet minister expressed regret over his remark. The opposition Congress demanded his resignation, accusing BJP leaders in the state of arrogance. Bhagirathpura falls under Vijayvargiya's Indore-1 assembly constituency. Health department data shows four deaths due to a diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated water in the area, while 212 patients required hospitalisation. Fifty patients have been discharged after recovery. Vijayvargiya, the state's urban development and housing minister, initially answered questions calmly while interacting with the media on Wednesday night. However, when asked why several patients from Bhagirathpura had not received refunds for bills paid to private hospitals and why proper drinking water arrangemen

The district administration said 149 patients were admitted to 27 hospitals across the city and are under observation

A new nationwide groundwater assessment shows rising uranium and nitrate contamination - with Punjab and Delhi among the worst affected - raising urgent health and policy concerns

Delhi's 2025 groundwater report flags higher uranium, lead, nitrate and salinity in some pockets. Here's what it means for drinking and cooking water, and steps families can take

The Annual Ground Water Quality Report 2025, which was made public on Friday, has indicated that 13 to 15 per cent of the total collected water samples have uranium contamination. Released under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the Central Ground Water Board's (CGWB) report is based on around 15,000 samples collected across India in 2024. It revealed that of the 86 monitored locations in Delhi, on several parameters, the samples exceeded Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) drinking water limits. "Overall, the study shows that while most groundwater in India is safe, certain regions face rising uranium levels, emphasising the need for regular monitoring and local mitigation measures to protect drinking water quality and health, the report said. It added that of the 83 total samples analysed, 24 were found to be exceeding uranium parameters, which is roughly around the range of 13.35 per cent and 15.66 per cent of the total samples collected. In its latest report on groundwater quality, sam

Bihar is grappling with severe groundwater contamination, with 30,207 rural wards exposed to "unsafe" drinking water that poses serious health risks, according to a new report. The report, which was recently tabled in the assembly as part of the Bihar Economic Survey (2024-25), highlighted the presence of arsenic in groundwater in 4,709 such wards, fluoride in 3,789 wards and iron in 21,709 wards. "Around 26 per cent of the rural wards in 31 districts, out of a total of 38, have groundwater sources affected by arsenic, fluoride and iron contamination beyond permissible limits," the state's Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) said in the study. The affected wards are located in Buxar, Bhojpur, Patna, Saran, Vaishali, Lakhisarai, Darbhanga, Samastipur, Begusarai, Khagara, Munger, Katihar, Bhagalpur, Sitamarhi, Kaimur, Rohtas, Aurangabad, Gaya, Nalanda, Nawada, Sheikhpura, Jamui, Banka, Supaul, Madhepura, Saharsa, Araria and Kishanganj districts. We are aware of the fact... ..

A parliamentary panel has raised concerns over water contamination issue in the country, highlighting that 11,348 habitations in 96 districts across seven states have not been provided with short-term measures for pollutants such as iron, nitrate, and heavy metals. In its report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, the Standing Committee on Water Resources has urged the Centre to take swift action to ensure safe drinking water in these vulnerable regions. The report further revealed that uranium contamination remains a pressing issue in Punjab, where 32 habitations across nine districts are affected. Despite interim measures in 22 of these areas, 10 habitations still await any mitigation efforts, it said. The committee has called for urgent and long-term interventions to safeguard public health. "The Committee notes that all arsenic and fluoride affected habitations have been covered by community water purification plants as an interim measure. However, they (panel) further observe th

The Central Ground Water Board report attributes the rising uranium levels to leaching from agricultural land. Intensive use of fertilisers has exacerbated the problem

Infected water source likely the reason for rare neurological condition, say doctors

Authorities in Kashmir have directed people not to directly consume spring water in Ganderbal district and rural areas of Srinagar after samples collected from 37 water bodies were found to contain harmful bacteria. In a notice issued on Wednesday, the Jal Shakti department said if at all spring water is to be used, it should be boiled. The warning comes in the backdrop of 17 deaths reported from Rajouri district due to a mysterious illness. "Jal Shakti (PHE) Rural Water Supply Division Ganderbal/Sgr carried out a massive drive of random sampling and testing of various springs across Ganderbal district, wherein it has been found that 37 out of 40 samples collected are bacteriologically positive... rendering those springs unfit for human consumption," the notice said. "Now, through the medium of this notice, the general public of district Ganderbal and rural Srinagar, where spring water is used for drinking purposes by locals..., are requested to refrain from using spring water for

Maharashtra Health Minister Prakash Abitkar on Monday disclosed that 80 per cent of the suspected cases of Guillain Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare neurological disorder, in Pune have been reported from areas located around a mega well in Nanded village on Sinhgad Road. Abitkar, who was in the city to review the GBS situation, noted that high number of cases in certain areas appears to be linked to suspected water contamination and assured the civic body is looking into the issue. After inspecting the water body in Nanded village, he stated, "80 per cent of cases are from areas around this well. The state health department and the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) are taking necessary measures to address the issue." The well is source of water for villages located adjoining it. A man suspected to have contracted GBS has died in Maharashtra's Solapur district, while the number of cases of the immunological nerve disorder in Pune has crossed 100-mark, health officials said earlier in the