When Indore residents drank water from tank hiding human corpse:30 years later, contaminated water claims 14 lives; system failures exposed

Indore is facing a water crisis that has killed 14 people and made hundreds ill. Contaminated water in Bhagirathpura caused the outbreak. Shockingly, a similar tragedy happened 30 years ago, when residents unknowingly drank water from a tank containing a human body. 14 dead, hundreds affected in Bhagirathpura In Bhagirathpura, 14 people have died and more than 200 are admitted to hospitals. The health department has surveyed 7,992 houses. Around 2,456 residents are infected or suspected to be ill. Current patients are receiving treatment in various hospitals. This tragedy is linked to a leak under a nearby toilet, raising fears that drinking water supply mixed with sewage water. Residents had been complaining for months, but authorities failed to act. Horror from 30 years ago About 30 years ago, a similar tragedy struck Indore’s Subhash Chowk area. At that time, Congress ruled the municipal corporation, and Madhukar Verma was the mayor. A large water tank supplied drinking water to thousands of homes in the western city. Unknown to anyone, a human body had been thrown into the tank. Over time, the corpse decomposed completely. Flesh, skin, and fibers dissolved in the water, which then flowed into residents’ homes. Families unknowingly drank this water, cooked with it, and served it to their children. Mystery remains unsolved People fell ill with vomiting, diarrhoea, stomach pain, and fever. Hospitals received many patients, but the cause remained unclear. Complaints reached the municipal corporation only when a foul stench emerged from taps. When officials opened the tank, they were shocked to find a human skeleton. Only the skeletal frame remained; all flesh had dissolved in the water. The discovery caused fear and disgust across the city. Who the person was, who placed the body in the tank, and why remains unknown to this day. A murder case was reportedly registered at the time, but no one was ever caught or identified. System failure then and now Former MLA Satyanarayan Sattan, who witnessed the Subhash Chowk incident, says the root cause in both cases is system failure. In Bhagirathpura, proper water testing and timely action could have saved 14 lives. Likewise, regular cleaning and monitoring of Subhash Chowk tank could have prevented the earlier tragedy. Pipeline leak under toilets Investigations found a leak in a pipeline passing under a toilet near the Bhagirathpura outpost. Repairs are underway. Residents are angry and grieving. Government figures confirm 14 deaths. Many families have lost loved ones or are watching relatives struggle in hospitals. High Court orders action The Indore Bench of Madhya Pradesh High Court intervened. The court ordered the government to file a status report by 2 January and provide free treatment to all victims. Public rejects compensation State minister Kailash Vijayvargiya visited the area to meet victims’ families. The government offered Rs 2 lakh to seven families of the deceased. Women refused the cheque, citing months of neglect and dirty water complaints ignored by local authorities. Congress criticism State Congress President Jitu Patwari criticised the government. He said, “The entire neighbourhood is sick, but the minister, intoxicated by power, did not even listen to residents’ pleas.” Indore’s current mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava’s June 2024 statement resurfaced. He had joked, “One litre of water costs Rs 21… we are not drinking water, but ghee.” Residents now see this as a bitter symbol of government disconnect during the crisis. Political history, same problem Indore has seen changes in party rule over decades. Subhash Chowk tragedy happened under Congress, Bhagirathpura under BJP. Both parties failed to ensure safe water. Investigation reports, committees, and compensation follow each tragedy, but accountability remains lacking. Officials responsible for negligence have not faced action. From Subhash Chowk to Bhagirathpura, Indore’s water supply system has repeatedly failed its citizens. These incidents raise a pressing question: will authorities act only when many lives are lost?