The death of a 50-year-old e-rickshaw driver in Indore’s Bhagirathpura area has triggered fresh allegations over contaminated drinking water, even as health authorities maintained that the man succumbed to cancer-related complications.
Hemant Gaikwad died on Tuesday night while undergoing treatment at a private hospital. His family claimed that he fell ill after consuming contaminated water, while officials said medical records showed he was suffering from cancer.
Bhagirathpura has reported several cases of vomiting and diarrhoea in recent weeks, with locals alleging that at least 25 people have died due to contaminated water, a figure not confirmed by civic authorities.
Hemant’s younger brother Sanjay Gaikwad alleged negligence and demanded action. “My brother died due to contaminated water. We lost him after just 15 days of illness. He was the sole breadwinner of the family, and the government should provide assistance. Those responsible must be punished,” he said.
However, Chief Medical and Health Officer Dr Madhav Prasad Hasani said doctors certified the cause of death as cardiopulmonary arrest resulting from cancer. “He was undergoing treatment for cancer. The actual cause of death is cancer,” he said, adding that cardiopulmonary arrest occurs when both heartbeat and breathing stop abruptly.
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Hemant’s funeral procession left his residence in Bhagirathpura on Wednesday morning. Family members and neighbours struggled to console his grieving mother, wife and four daughters. His youngest daughter, 12-year-old Manali, performed the last rites with the help of a relative.
His eldest daughter Riya said Hemant had suffered from diarrhoea after consuming contaminated water and was first admitted to one private hospital before being shifted to another when his condition deteriorated.
Residents said complaints about contaminated water had been made repeatedly to the municipal corporation, but corrective action was delayed. Officials confirmed that contaminated water was detected in 51 tube wells in the area, with laboratory tests revealing the presence of E coli bacteria.
Civic authorities attributed the contamination to a leak in the drinking water pipeline that allowed sewage from a toilet to mix with the supply.
In a status report submitted to the Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court on January 15, the state government acknowledged seven deaths linked to the diarrhoea and vomiting outbreak. A death audit by Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College suggested that at least 15 deaths in Bhagirathpura could be associated with the outbreak.
The administration has announced compensation of Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 21 deceased persons. Officials said some deaths were due to pre-existing illnesses, but financial assistance was extended on humanitarian grounds.
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