'Same Symptoms, Same Water': Indore Couple Dies A Month Apart After Alleged Contamination

Last Updated:February 07, 2026, 17:24 IST

The family received Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance from the Red Cross Society after Urmila’s death, which helped cover immediate expenses.

A couple from Indore’s Bhagirathpura died within a month of each other after allegedly falling ill due to contaminated drinking water, triggering concerns over water safety and public health in the area.

On December 28, seventy-year-old Urmila Yadav died after suffering bouts of vomiting and diarrhoea. Thirteen days later, just after her ritual mourning ended, her husband Alghuram Yadav fell ill. On Thursday night, nearly a month after being admitted to Aurobindo Hospital, Alghuram also died.

Alghuram Yadav was admitted to hospital on January 9 after suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea and remained under treatment for several weeks.

The health department said he had multiple pre-existing conditions, including paralysis, a fracture in his right thigh bone and other ailments. However, his family maintains that he was stable until January 8.

“My father was fine," said their son Sanjay Yadav, a tailor by profession. “He became sick only after my mother died. The same symptoms. The same water."

For Sanjay, the loss is compounded by a grief that words can scarcely capture. Eleven months before Urmila fell ill, the family had welcomed a child after waiting 15 years. Urmila had become a grandmother for the first time, a moment the family had long prayed for, but she spent barely eight to ten months with her grandson.

“She was healthy by every measure that mattered," Sanjay said. “She walked on her own, managed the house. No serious illness. Then one evening, she vomited. By the next morning, she was in the ICU. By Sunday, she was gone."

According to the residents say the warning signs were visible. Tap water had turned dirty days before the first illnesses. Drainage work was underway. Pipelines lay exposed. Complaints were raised. Nothing changed.

Urmila’s nephew, Vijay Yadav, recalled the sequence of events with lingering anger. “My aunt died on December 28. On the 31st, her grandson was hospitalised. The day after her 13-day mourning ended, my uncle’s health collapsed. He was taken to Aurobindo, and we weren’t even allowed to meet him," he said.

When Alghuram’s condition showed temporary improvement, he was moved to the general ward, but his health deteriorated again soon after.

Following his death, the family was told that comorbidities were responsible. Vijay, however, disputes this claim. “They say he had other illnesses. The administration is lying," he said. “If that were true, why did the government cover hospital bills worth lakhs of rupees?"

The family received Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance from the Red Cross Society after Urmila’s death, which helped cover immediate expenses. However, it did little to explain how two members of the same household died within weeks of each other after consuming the same water.

News india 'Same Symptoms, Same Water': Indore Couple Dies A Month Apart After Alleged Contamination

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