A tragic case of suspected water contamination in Indore has claimed the life of a 74-year-old woman, while her daughter narrowly escaped harm after drinking only packaged water she carried with her — highlighting the life-and-death importance of safe drinking water.
Manjula Vade, a resident of Bhagirathpura in Indore, fell seriously ill late on the night of December 29 after consuming water supplied through the municipal pipeline. She later died due to acute diarrhoea, which doctors linked to contaminated drinking water in the area.
Her daughter, Jyoti Bhuse, a tax consultant based in Aurangabad, had visited her parents briefly during the same period. As part of her routine, Bhuse carried packaged drinking water and avoided consuming tap water during her stay — a habit that may have saved her life.
Illness struck within hours
Bhuse had arrived in Indore two days earlier to meet her elderly parents and sisters. On the evening of December 29, the family shared dinner at the parents’ modest two-room home. Later that night, Bhuse boarded a bus back to Aurangabad and spoke to her mother around 10.30 pm.
Within hours of that call, Manjula complained of severe illness. Despite medical attention, her condition worsened rapidly. She succumbed to acute diarrhoea, believed to have been caused by contaminated water due to a reported pipeline leak in the locality.
“The same water that took my mother’s life could have taken mine too,” Bhuse said. “That bottle of water made the difference.”
Elderly husband left vulnerable
Manjula’s husband, Digambar Vade, 79, now lives alone in the house they shared for decades. Their five daughters rushed to Indore following the tragedy and are currently handling medical procedures, funeral rites, and household matters.
“This happened because of a failure in the system,” one of the daughters said, calling on authorities to take responsibility for the care of their elderly father. Digambar added that the compensation announced by officials would largely go towards cremation expenses, with any remaining amount reserved for his health needs.
Civic response and wider concern
Following reports of illness, civic teams began cleaning affected lanes and inspecting pipelines in Bhagirathpura. Officials have indicated that contamination may have occurred due to a leakage allowing sewage to mix with drinking water lines.
For the Vade family, however, the response comes too late. The incident stands as a stark reminder that access to safe drinking water — often taken for granted — remains a critical public health issue.