Overview
- The Madhya Pradesh High Court directed Chief Secretary Anurag Jain to appear by video on January 15 and ordered immediate supply of safe water plus free medical screening and treatment for residents of Bhagirathpura.
- Reports now put deaths at around 20 with more than 3,200 people ill and hundreds hospitalised, while official tolls remain lower and the administration has issued Rs 2 lakh compensation to 18 families.
- Preliminary findings reported to the press indicated E. coli in many Bhagirathpura borewell samples, and authorities cited a public toilet built above a supply pipeline as a likely contamination point.
- Congress leaders escalated pressure for accountability, seeking a Supreme Court–level independent inquiry, PMO oversight and escalation to the Asian Development Bank, alongside calls for citywide water audits.
- A Bhagirathpura resident petitioned for an FIR and culpable homicide charges against responsible officials, as public-health groups labeled the situation a ‘public health emergency’ and urged a 24x7 safe-water guarantee.