Indore, 16 January (H.S.):

Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will arrive here on Saturday to console families devastated by a virulent outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea in Bhagirathpura, triggered by acutely contaminated municipal water supplies, as announced by state party chief Jitu Patwari on Friday.

Gandhi's itinerary encompasses a direct visit to Bombay Hospital between 11:45 a.m. and 12:15 p.m. to engage with patients still battling critical conditions, followed by outreach to bereaved households in the afflicted neighbourhood, where residents allege at least 24 fatalities since late December 2025—including a five-month-old infant—contrasting sharply with the state government's confirmed tally of seven deaths.

Patwari lambasted the BJP administration, asserting that 70 percent of Madhya Pradesh's water remains unfit for consumption, branding it a slow poison ravaging public health amid ministerial indifference.

A government-mandated death audit by Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College has tentatively linked 15 demise to the crisis, while over 4,800 locals have undergone screening, with 12 fresh cases detected recently; concurrent groundwork for an Rs 800-crore AMRUT 2.0 water scheme underscores remedial intent post-tragedy.

The proposed solidarity conference with experts and councillors—thwarted by denied permissions—highlights partisan frictions, as Gandhi's presence amplifies calls for accountability in Indore's sanitation lapses .

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar