Visits Bhagirathpura as residents claim 24 deaths while state pegs toll at seven
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi visited Indore on Saturday, February 17, to meet patients and families affected by the recent vomiting and diarrhoea outbreak linked to contaminated drinking water in the city. His visit combined hospital interactions with an on-ground assessment of the worst-hit locality, Bhagirathpura.
At Bombay Hospital, a private medical facility in Indore, Gandhi met four patients undergoing treatment for illness related to the outbreak. He spoke with them and their family members, inquired about their health conditions, and assured them of continued attention to the crisis. He was accompanied by Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari and senior party leader Umang Singhar.
Gandhi later visited Bhagirathpura, the epicentre of the outbreak reported last month. He interacted with grieving families who lost relatives, expressed condolences, and listened to residents’ concerns regarding water contamination, sanitation issues, and the state government’s response.
Ahead of his visit, local police made extensive security arrangements in the area, installing barricades at multiple points to manage crowds and maintain law and order.
Residents of Bhagirathpura have claimed that at least 24 people have died due to the outbreak. However, the Madhya Pradesh government, in its submission to the High Court, stated that the official death toll stands at seven, including a five-month-old infant.
Meanwhile, a death audit report prepared by a committee of the government-run Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College indicated that 15 deaths could be linked to the outbreak in some manner, raising further questions about the scale of the crisis.
The state administration has paid ₹2 lakh each to the families of 21 deceased persons. Officials have maintained that while some deaths were due to pre-existing illnesses or other medical conditions, financial assistance was extended to all bereaved families on humanitarian grounds.
The incident has intensified political scrutiny of the state government’s handling of public health infrastructure, water supply management, and crisis response in Indore.
