Another Indore Man Dies Due To Contaminated Water, Number Of Deaths Now 25

Hemany Gaikwad, a 51-year-old resident of Bhagirathpura in Madhya Pradesh's Indore, is the latest victim of contaminated drinking water. With Gaikwad, who died on Tuesday morning during treatment, the death count due to contaminated drinking water in Indore has increased to 25.

Gaikwad, also known as Bala, fell ill on December 22 after consuming contaminated water. He was initially admitted to a private nursing home in Pardeshipura, but as his condition worsened, he was referred to Aurobindo Hospital on January 7, where he remained under treatment for several days. Doctors said he was suffering from cell carcinoma and kidney disease, but was admitted with severe vomiting and diarrhoea, after which his health deteriorated rapidly.

Hemant leaves behind four daughters. He was the sole breadwinner of the family and earned his livelihood by driving an e-rickshaw.

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Meanwhile, the crisis continued to draw sharp scrutiny from the Madhya Pradesh High Court. During Tuesday's hearing, the court questioned the state government on who was monitoring the implementation of its earlier directions on the ground and where citizens could register complaints. The Chief Secretary, who appeared via video conferencing, was unable to give a clear answer.

The state government informed the court that it has constituted a high-level committee of senior bureaucrats to conduct a detailed probe into the contaminated water deaths in what is officially known as the country's cleanest city. The committee will be headed by Additional Chief Secretary (General Administration Department) Sanjay Kumar Shukla, with Principal Secretary (Public Health Engineering) P Narhari, Urban Administration Commissioner Sanket Bhondve and Indore Divisional Commissioner Sudam Khade as members, Khade also serving as member secretary.

According to the government, the committee will examine administrative, technical and other lapses, fix accountability of erring officials and recommend measures to prevent such incidents in the future. It has been empowered to seek records, conduct site inspections and submit its report within one month.

As directed earlier by the High Court, the state's Chief Secretary Anurag Jain appeared before the bench through video conferencing, as he had during the previous hearing as well.

However, the move to constitute the committee drew strong opposition from the petitioners. Senior advocate Ajay Bagaria argued that the committee was an "eyewash" that would effectively shield responsible officials. He pointed out that all proposed members were serving bureaucrats and submitted that public confidence in the administrative machinery had eroded due to prolonged inaction.

Bagaria also raised concerns over the recent posting of former Indore Municipal Commissioner Dilip Kumar Yadav as Managing Director of the State Tourism Development Corporation, barely a fortnight after his removal from Indore in connection with the deaths. He further cited Pollution Control Board reports from 2016-17 that recorded total and faecal coliform contamination in borewell samples across the city, arguing that despite these findings being on record for nearly a decade, no effective remedial steps were taken.

The senior advocate also questioned the execution of a drinking water pipeline project awarded to a private contractor in February 2023, stating that only 80 per cent of the work had been completed by January 14, 2026, and that the remaining 20 per cent was reportedly finished within a week after judicial scrutiny intensified. He said this raised serious doubts about the quality and supervision of the work.

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Suggesting an alternative, Bagaria submitted that any committee should include independent members, such as retired High Court judges, to ensure credibility and genuine accountability. The court, however, did not pass any immediate observations and reserved its order after hearing all parties at length.

So far, 21 families have received compensation of Rs 2 lakh each. Nine patients remain hospitalised, seven of them in intensive care units. The state government said it has spent Rs 1.21 crore on the medical treatment of those affected.