Congress claims 98% of Indore drinking water samples found contaminated

The opposition Congress on Friday claimed that nearly 98 per cent of 240 drinking water samples collected in Indore, which has been ranked as the country’s cleanest city multiple times, were found contaminated.

The city Mayor, however, termed the claim as “misleading” and a conspiracy to tarnish Indore’s image.

Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Jitu Patwari told reporters that the party collected 240 samples from 29 wards following the deaths caused by drinking water contamination in the Bhagirathpura area of the city in December 2025.

Tests conducted at a laboratory in Noida found that 98 per cent of these samples were contaminated, he said. The water contained bacteria such as E. Coli and coliforms along with chemicals belonging to the calcium carbonate, chloride and sulfate groups in concentrations several times higher than the prescribed limits, claimed the Congress leader.

According to experts, the presence of coliform bacteria indicates that the water may be contaminated, while the presence of E. coli is considered more serious as it usually indicates contamination from human or animal feces.