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While contaminated drinking water has become a major public issue in Indore following 15 reported deaths, official data show that waterborne diseases have affected large populations in both Indore and Bhopal for years.
Over a six-year period, more than 545,000 people in the two largest cities of Madhya Pradesh were reported to have suffered from waterborne illnesses. The scale of the problem appears significantly greater in Bhopal, the state capital, where more than 400,000 cases of severe diarrhoea were recorded during that time.
The figures come from a report on urban water management published by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) in 2019, which analysed data from 2013 to 2018. According to the report, Bhopal Municipal Corporation recorded 439,104 cases of severe diarrhoea during this period. By comparison, Indore reported 40,447 cases.
Other waterborne diseases also showed a similar pattern. Bhopal reported 39,481 cases of typhoid between 2013 and 2018, while Indore recorded 1,462 cases. Viral hepatitis cases were also substantially higher in Bhopal, at 23,875, compared with 625 cases in Indore.
The CAG report highlighted concerns not only about disease prevalence but also about the monitoring and response mechanisms of municipal authorities. Timely water testing and corrective action are essential to prevent waterborne diseases. While water samples were regularly collected and tested in both cities, the audit found that the municipal administrations were unable to provide records detailing the actions taken when contamination was detected.
Between 2013 and 2018, a total of 299,692 water samples were collected and tested from various sources in Bhopal, compared with 74,889 samples in Indore. In Bhopal, 433 biological samples were found to be substandard. However, the overall water quality situation appeared more serious in Indore, the report noted.
In Indore, 3,074 physical, 147 chemical and 827 bacteriological samples were found to be below the prescribed standard out of 10,500 samples tested. Water samples are assessed through physical, chemical, bacteriological and biological analysis.
Despite fewer samples being tested in Indore, a higher proportion failed to meet standards. In contrast, although more samples were tested in Bhopal and fewer were found substandard, Bhopal recorded a much higher number of waterborne disease cases. The discrepancy raises questions about the reliability of testing, reporting, and follow-up mechanisms.
To independently assess water quality, an audit team jointly collected 54 water samples with officials from both municipal corporations in August and September 2018. Of these, 30 samples were taken from Bhopal and 24 from Indore. In Bhopal, samples were collected from three source points, six water treatment plants, six overhead tanks and 15 consumer endpoints. In Indore, samples were taken from two sources, four treatment plants, six overhead tanks and 12 consumer locations.
All samples were tested independently by the State Research Laboratory (SRL) in Bhopal. The tests found that two samples from Bhopal showed turbidity exceeding Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS 10500) limits, while three samples had faecal coliform counts ranging between 30 and 60, against a standard of zero.
In Indore, five samples did not meet prescribed standards.
However, the municipal corporations rejected the findings of this joint investigation, claiming that the sample collection process and testing methodology were flawed.
The water supply systems were not constrained by a lack of funding, the report also highlighted. Over a five-year period, both municipal corporations failed to utilise their full allocated budgets, leaving substantial sums unspent each year.
Between 2013 and 2018, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation received approximately Rs 1,119 crore for water-related services, of which Rs 963 crore was spent. Around Rs 156 crore remained unutilised.
During the same period, the Indore Municipal Corporation received Rs 2,352 crore but spent only Rs 1,137 crore, leaving Rs 1,215 crore unspent.
The audit concluded that despite significant budgetary allocations, gaps in spending, monitoring and accountability continued to affect the safety and reliability of urban drinking water supplies in both cities.
