People dying after using unsafe water in MP, Kerala is a matter of serious concern
If the adage ‘water is life’ signifies its absolute necessity for all living organisms and ecosystems, then the same water, in its impure form could spell death for those who consume it. In fact, it is the obligatory duty of the authorities – whether municipality, water supply department or any other body – to ensure supply of potable water to every living being. However, the poor and downtrodden may not have access to clean water. It is not just injustice but gross inhumanity.
The recent reports that Kerala has recorded its highest-ever number of Hepatitis A cases have raised fresh concerns about water safety, sanitation and disease surveillance in the state. The state has recorded 31,536 confirmed and probable cases and 82 deaths as on December 30, 2025. Incidentally, this outbreak is not an overnight occurrence, but has resulted from failure to guarantee water safety, provide operational sanitation systems and public health monitoring. In fact, the observation by health experts that the virus is slowly attacking older age groups turns the situation grievous, thus making related awareness and prevention very much necessary.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), wherein the virus spreads mainly through food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. Even though Hepatitis A like Hepatitis B or Hepatitis C does not cause long-term liver disease, it can sometimes turn serious and lead to acute liver failure that can be fatal.
In another water contamination induced tragedy, recently 17 people died after consuming polluted drinking water in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city, which is officially country’s cleanest city. More than 1,400 residents have fallen ill in the central state, while several are still battling for life in hospitals. One of such victims was a five-month-old child who was fed cow milk diluted with tap water as it was too thick for the infant. The child suffered diarrhoea and despite being treated by a doctor, died within three days. The tap water killed the child.
Now, the Indore tragedy has taken a disturbing new turn. A sexagenarian woman who was infected by the water has shown symptoms of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS), a rare, potentially fatal neurological disorder that attacks the body’s nerves, raising fears that the water contamination has caused not just gastrointestinal illness, but long-term, irreversible neurological damage. The woman is on a ventilator, is undergoing dialysis due to kidney failure, and her nervous system is failing.
Indore, which is approximately 250 km away from Bhopal, also had its share of misfortune linked to the 1984 Bhopal gas leak. The potential environmental contamination caused by the subsequent disposal of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in an industrial area near Indore, greatly harmed its residents. Sadly, the use of an objectionable word in response to a journalist’s question about the water contamination by Bharatiya Janata Party Minister from Madhya Pradesh, Kailash Vijayvargiya reflected inhumanity and authoritarianism. It also displayed the careless attitude of the government towards the tragedy.
Water pollution in India is severe! Many of the reports indicate that around 70 per cent of surface water here is contaminated and unfit for consumption, largely due to untreated sewage, industrial waste and agricultural runoff, impacting millions and causing significant health issues. The country ranks low on water quality indices and faces a severe water stress situation, affecting 600 million people, with pollutants like arsenic, fluoride and nitrates being matter of concern. The Centre must take up this issue on priority basis.
