Indore crematorium files reveal contaminated water death happened earlier too:Records show first death on December 21, Bihar’s Sumitra lost her life

The first death linked to drinking contaminated water in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area did not occur two to four days ago, but as early as December 21. This revelation has emerged from records maintained at the Bhagirathpura crematorium. According to the records, a 50-year-old woman, Sumitra Devi, originally from Motihari district in Bihar, was cremated on December 21. She had come to Indore to visit her son. When a Bhaskar reporter contacted Sumitra Devi’s family, it emerged that she had been suffering from stomach pain for 10 to 12 days before her death. Her family took her to a doctor, but she could not be saved. Crematorium records further revealed that a 75-year-old man, Santosh Bigolia, was cremated on December 24. The cause of death recorded against his name was ‘old age’. Before Sumitra Devi, five more deaths were recorded at the crematorium, all listed as due to old age. This has raised serious suspicion that the chain of deaths linked to contaminated water may have begun much earlier than officially acknowledged. So far, ten deaths have been reported in Bhagirathpura due to contaminated drinking water. On Wednesday alone, four people, including a five-month-old infant, died. Came to stay with son a month ago The mobile number listed in the crematorium register led the reporter to Saroj Kumar, a resident of Bhagirathpura. Saroj has been living in a two-storey house in the area for the past three-and-a-half to four years. Sumitra Devi was his adopted sister. Pointing to a small 10-by-10-foot room near his own, Saroj said that Sumitra’s son, daughter-in-law and their two daughters lived there. Her son works in a private job in Indore. Sumitra had arrived in the city in November, about a month before her death, to stay with her family. Illness began nearly twelve days before death Saroj Kumar said that around 12 days before her death, Sumitra complained of stomach pain and gas. The family initially did not consider it serious and sought medical treatment. However, her condition continued to worsen. A day before her death, she began vomiting and suffered from diarrhoea. The family said they were unable to understand how her condition deteriorated so rapidly. When asked about the water supply, Saroj stated that around 15 days ago, foul-smelling water was coming into their house. Only two days ago did the municipal corporation begin making announcements advising residents to boil water before drinking. Since then, the family has been boiling water. Saroj also showed water that had been stored in Sumitra’s house, which has remained untouched since her death. Deaths recorded as ‘Old Age’ despite symptoms Sumitra Devi died on December 21. Three days later, Santosh Bigolia died on December 24 after suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea, according to his family. However, crematorium records list the cause of death as old age. The same cause has been mentioned for five other deaths before Sumitra, strengthening suspicions that water contamination-related deaths may have occurred even before December 21. 5-month-old baby dies after consuming milk On Wednesday, five-month-old Avyan Sahu, a resident of Bhagirathpura, also died. His family said the child was fed external milk supplied by a local milkman. The milkman reportedly sourced milk from shops in the Pardesipura and Bhagirathpura areas. The family alleges that the milk was adulterated with contaminated water. After consuming the milk, the baby’s health deteriorated rapidly, leading to his death.