At least nine people have fallen ill after consuming contaminated drinking water in Mhow tehsil of Madhya Pradesh's Indore district, officials said on Friday.
Cases of water-borne diseases were reported from the Patti Bazaar and Chander Marg areas on Thursday night, they added.
Indore Collector Shivam Verma arrived in Mhow late at night, visited patients undergoing treatment at a hospital, and spoke to residents of the affected areas, an official said. Nine patients have been hospitalised, while a few others are recuperating at home.
Personnel from the health department have been on site since Friday morning under the direction of Chief Medical and Health Officer (CMHO) Dr Madhav Hasani. A team from the Indore Medical College and other specialist doctors are also being sent to the scene.
Mhow MLA Usha Thakur also visited the hospital to meet the affected persons. Collector Verma directed the health department to ensure proper and effective treatment for all patients and instructed the Mhow Cantonment Board to check the water quality and maintain cleanliness in the area.
The government is closely monitoring the situation, Verma said. The affected areas will be surveyed, and residents suffering from any symptoms will be provided with appropriate treatment, with critical patients admitted to the hospital. No patient is in critical condition at present, and some of them are expected to be discharged during the day.
Last month, several people fell ill, and seven deaths linked to water contamination were reported in the Bhagirathpura area of Indore. While residents of the locality have claimed that the outbreak has claimed 25 lives so far, a status report submitted by the Madhya Pradesh government to the High Court on January 15 mentioned seven deaths, including that of a five-month-old boy.