Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday, January 17, 2026, visited Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to meet the victims and affected families of a severe water contamination outbreak in the Bhagirathpura area. He interacted with patients undergoing treatment at Bombay Hospital and extended condolences to the families who lost loved ones. During his visit, Gandhi sharply criticized the Madhya Pradesh government, stating that "clean water is not available even today" in Indore. He questioned the 'Smart City' model, highlighting the irony of a city deemed 'cleanest' struggling with basic amenities like safe drinking water and accusing the government of negligence. He emphasized that the government must take responsibility for the crisis and ensure victims receive proper compensation. The water contamination incident, which began in mid-December 2025 and escalated with a severe outbreak of vomiting and diarrhea around December 27-28, 2025, has been a significant public health crisis. Lab tests confirmed the presence of bacteria like E. coli, Salmonella, and Vibrio cholerae, primarily due to sewage leaking into a 30-year-old water pipeline located beneath a public toilet. The exact death toll has been a point of contention. While residents claimed between 23 and 24 deaths, and the state government initially reported 7 fatalities to the High Court, a medical committee later attributed 15 deaths directly to the contaminated water. The Madhya Pradesh government, however, decided to provide compensation to the families of 23 deceased individuals on humanitarian grounds, irrespective of the direct cause-of-death attribution. Rahul Gandhi's visit underscored the ongoing challenges in ensuring clean water access and the need for accountability from the authorities.