BHOPAL: Deaths from contaminated water triggered diarrhea in Bhagirathpura area of the country’s cleanest city Indore, continue to be a serious concern. Over the last four days, three elderly residents of the locality have died.
While bereaved families claim that the deaths were due to diarrhoeal outbreak, the Indore district’s chief medical and health officer has maintained that the three deaths were caused due to age-related and other health issues.
As per media reports and Congress’s state president Jitu Patwari, with three more deaths in the last four days, the death toll from the area has now touched 28, with 75-year-old local Congress leader Rajaram Bhaurasi being the latest victim. The Indore CMHO Dr Madhav Hassani has categorically denied the allegations, saying that all the three recent deaths happened due to other illnesses and not following diarrhoea or associated complications.
“The reports of Rajaram Bhaurasi, particularly revealed that he was not suffering from diarrhoea (vomiting and upset stomach), but was instead an old cardiac and diabetes patient,” the Indore CMHO maintained in an official statement released on Sunday. The state Congress chief, however, posted on X, “I must say that our party’s ward chief Rajaram Bhaurasi passed away, due to drinking contaminated water. The negligence, corruption and arrogance of the BJP government have poisoned the water, claiming the lives of 28 innocent people so far.”
Prior to Bhaurasi’s death, two more elderly residents of the locality—82-year-old Vidya Bai, and 63-year-old Badri Prasad—died on Thursday and Friday respectively. Vidya Devi’s kin alleged that she had been down with acute diarrhoea and associated health problems. Just a day later, 63-year-old Badri Prasad died at the same private hospital where Vidya Bai had died on Thursday.