Tap trust dries up after contamination tragedy

The water contamination tragedy in Madhya Pradesh's commercial capital Indore, also the country's cleanest city for almost a decade, has left people shunning municipal tap supply and scurrying for bottled water, putting a financial strain on those with limited means.

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According to officials, six people have died and more than 200 were hospitalised in an outbreak of vomiting and diarrhoea caused by contaminated drinking water in Bhagirathpura, which has a large population from low and middle-income groups. The death figures, however, vary, ranging from 10 to 16.

"Yes, we are now scared of drinking water from municipal taps. We need proof that the water is clean, only then will we drink it. My family is currently buying drinking water jars from the market, paying between Rs 20 and Rs. 30 per jar," Sunita, a resident of Marathi Mohalla said on Saturday.

She claimed the area was getting "dirty water" from taps for the past two to three years, but no one listened to the complaints of residents.

"For a long time now, we have been adding alum (sulphate salt used for water purification) and also boiling water before drinking," Sunita added.