Six-month-old Boy Among Victims As Contaminated Water Claims Several Lives In Indore

Indore: In a tragic incident, a sixth-month-old boy has died after allegedly falling ill due to contaminated drinking water in Indore. The death of the child, who was born after a 10-year wait, has left the family devastated, with the state government announcing a compensation of Rs 2 lakh.

What did the family say?

The family told the media that the boy developed diarrhoea on December 26 after allegedly consuming contaminated drinking water and was taken to a local doctor. The infant was later brought back home from a local hospital where he remained in a stable condition for two days.

However, things took a turn for the worse on the night of December 29 when the boy suddenly developed high fever, started vomiting and later died at home.

"He had diarrhoea and fever. We took him to the doctor. The doctor gave him medicine. We brought him home. Suddenly, at night, he developed a very high fever. He vomited, and he died at home on the 29th. I have a daughter, and this son was born 10 years later. He was 6 months old," Sunil Sahu, the father of the child, told the media.

What led to the tragedy?

The drinking water in Indore is drawn from the Narmada river and is sourced from Jalud in Khargone district, around 80 kilometres away. This water is supplied to the city of Indore through a vast network of pipelines. According to the investigating agencies, failures and lapses at several points led to sewage mixing with drinking water, which triggered the outbreak.

What is the death toll?

According to the mayor of Indore, the unfortunate incident and the subsequent outbreak of diarrhoea has so far claimed at least seven lives while 162 people are undergoing treatment across 27 hospitals, both government and private.

How are the authorities tackling the crisis?

The municipal body of Indore has begun flushing the water pipeline and advised residents not to use tap water for consumption purposes until Friday. To deal with the shortage of water triggered by the crisis, 60 to 70 water tankers have been deployed to supply clean drinking water in the affected areas. ASHA workers are also conducting door-to-door surveys to identify new cases and ensure timely medical intervention.