The sewage-tainted water tragedy in Indore may have exposed a serious failure in governance, but what’s deeply concerning is that the rot is no longer confined to one city.
Gujarat is battling a serious public health crisis of its own. And a serious one at that.
Contaminated water has afflicted Gandhinagar too, which prides itself on planned development.
It has triggered a typhoid epidemic, pushing many residents, including children, onto hospital beds.
At the time of this article going live, 94 patients are undergoing treatment at the Civil Hospital.
Nineteen patients have been discharged after recovery. But the inflow of new cases continues.
Earlier, more than 80 patients had to be admitted simultaneously in male and female wards. Pediatricians and doctors from other departments and district health centers have been urgently deployed to the Civil Hospital to manage the crisis.
The worst-hit areas include the old sectors 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28 of Gandhinagar, along with tribal pockets and GIDC areas.
In recent days, nine more children were admitted to Gandhinagar Civil Hospital, pushing the healthcare system further under strain. Doctors have warned that for at least the next ten days, 10 to 15 new typhoid cases could be reported daily from these areas.
The outbreak has once again raised uncomfortable questions about the state’s failure to ensure safe and potable drinking water.
Shaktisinh Gohil, Congress Rajya Sabha MP from Gujarat, told Vibes of India that potable drinking water is the right of the citizens and what has happened is criminal negligence.
Corruption, he alleged, is across all cities and there is no planning. This, according to him, is putting people’s lives at risk. The human development index is already low, he observed.
Families struggled with prolonged fever, weakness, loss of income, and fear simply because the water they consumed was unsafe.
Health officials have confirmed that the outbreak is water-borne. Contaminated drinking water, supplied through old and damaged pipelines, is the primary cause of the spread of typhoid and related illnesses.
In many urban pockets, sewage water is mixing with drinking water lines, turning a basic necessity into a health hazard.
A massive survey has been carried out in more than 20,800 houses across the affected areas, covering a population of over 90,000 people.
As an immediate response, authorities distributed around 30,000 chlorine tablets and 20,600 ORS packets. The Water Supply Department has initiated work to lay new water lines, but the damage caused by contaminated water has already pushed the government into a defensive position.
As news of the epidemic reached New Delhi, multiple departments were forced into action mode. The Water Supply Department, Capital Planning Department and the Municipal Corporation have been instructed to jointly monitor the situation continuously for seven days, setting aside internal disputes over jurisdiction.
Gandhinagar is Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha constituency. VOI understands that the situation was such that he had to instruct the authorities to bring the situation under control.
The Municipal Corporation’s Food Safety Branch has also launched inspections, particularly targeting stables and food transport vehicles. More than 100 lorries have been stopped with the help of other departments. Officials claim this drive will continue.
However, for residents already suffering from typhoid, these measures feel reactive rather than preventive.
There is growing concern that Gandhinagar could face a situation similar to past water-borne outbreaks seen in other Indian cities. So far, more than 100 people have fallen ill and required hospital treatment in the capital alone.
What makes the Gandhinagar outbreak more alarming is that it is not an isolated incident. There is hardly a district in Gujarat today where people are not, at some point, forced to consume contaminated water.
Government data reveals a disturbing trend. Over the last three years, more than 1.10 lakh drinking water samples have failed quality tests across Gujarat between 2020 and 2023.
Water quality standards are clearly defined. If Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and hardness are within permissible limits, water is considered potable.
But when TDS, bacteria, E. coli, salts, or hazardous minerals exceed limits, the water becomes dangerous. Consumption of such water increases the risk of typhoid, diarrhea, vomiting, and long-term conditions affecting kidneys, bones and teeth.
Failed samples have been reported across Gujarat from metro cities like Ahmedabad to districts such as Mehsana, Banaskantha, Kutch, Anand and Bharuch. As a result, public health indicators continue to decline.
One of the most worrying aspects is the absence of an effective system to immediately inform citizens when water samples fail. By the time people realize the water is unsafe, diseases like diarrhea, vomiting and typhoid have already spread. In cities with old infrastructure, sewage contamination of water pipelines turns seasonal outbreaks into recurring epidemics.
Despite repeated warnings, there appears to be little urgency in overhauling water supply systems or ensuring strict monitoring. Temporary fixes, surveys and tablet distributions cannot substitute for safe, reliable drinking water.
Gujarat often presents itself as a model of development, infrastructure and governance. Yet the ongoing typhoid outbreak in Gandhinagar exposes a harsh contradiction. When citizens of the state capital fall sick due to contaminated water, claims of inclusive and sustainable development ring hollow.
It has emerged that the state government received over one lakh complaints pertaining to water in the last three years. Yet, no actions were initiated.
Also Read: Sewage in the Taps Mocks Gujarat’s Smart-City Hype https://www.vibesofindia.com/sewage-in-the-taps-mocks-gujarats-smart-city-hype/
