Indore loses 65% of its drinking water to contamination, showing the very painful reality, which highlights how two of the largest cities in Madhya Pradesh- Indore and Bhopal are affected by chronic problems in their infrastructure, management, and quality. A recent audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has revealed that the city of Indore is leaking, wasting, and contaminating an alarming 65% of its drinking water supply, a figure well above municipal estimates.

The Big Picture: Trends of Water Loss and Contamination

On the other hand, Bhopal, the state capital, loses almost half of its treated water (50%) before it gets to households. These statistics come from the CAG performance audit for the period 2013-2018, which reveals a drastic difference between the volume of water extracted from sources and that which eventually flows into consumer taps.

Water supply systems in urban India experience high non-revenue water (water that is produced but not paid for) due to causes such as leaks, theft, illegal connections/unauthorised access, and faulty meters. In Indore, the amount of non-revenue water was estimated by official municipal records at 15–26%; however, an audit conducted by the CAG showed the amount of non-revenue water to be even higher, up to 65%. In Bhopal, the amount of non-revenue water is in the range of 30% to 49%.

Also Read: When Over 200 US Rivers Have Turned Orange Scientists Sound The Alarm On Climate Change And Rusting Waterways

When Infrastructure Loss Meets Public Health Risk

Of over 4500 water samples analysed between 2013 and 2018, more than 4400 were found to be below the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS-10500) for physical, chemical, or bacteriological characteristics. The results of the unauthorised independent testing showed faecal coliform and turbidity levels exceeding the BIS limit significantly, hence presenting the possibility of direct contamination.

Indore loses 65% of its drinking water to contamination, and recent data on deaths and hospitalisations related to contaminated water are also consistent with the audit findings of management failure. In early 2026, ten people died, and over 270 were hospitalised after drinking contaminated water linked to sewage in the water supply in Bhagirathpura, Indore. These cases highlight the connection between management failure and loss of life caused by contamination of water.

Also Read: In First Second-Term Vetoes, Trump Rejected Colorado Water Project And Florida Tribal Proposal

Why is There So Much Water Loss or Contamination?

Indore loses 65% of its drinking water to contamination, and at the centre of the water crisis is a network of interconnected issues:

• Infrastructure that is ageing and leaking: With the passage of time, pipelines, joints, and valves corrode, resulting in the physical loss of water.
• Neglected maintenance: The CAG discovered that leakage complaints took anywhere between 22 and 182 days before being resolved. Moreover, work orders were often postponed for months. Consequently, contaminated water or water that was being wasted without permission was still being poured out.
• Unfilled positions: Back in 2018, Bhopal lacked 29% of its water supply staff, and Indore had 18% of its approved posts vacant, which severely hampered timely response and maintenance.
• Monitoring & testing are poorly executed: A lot of water sources were either poorly tested or not tested at all; some tanks were not washed frequently, and required bacteriological tests were ignored.
• Lack of adequate coverage: There were tens of thousands of households that had no connections at all 143, 000 in Bhopal and 268, 000 in Indore; hence, these homes were left with no other choices but unsafe ones or sharing a tap with neighbours.

Problems Faced by Both Cities

Indicators highlighting the different problems the two cities are experiencing are listed below.

Also Read: UK’s Net Zero Goals At Risk As Water Shortages Intensify, Study Finds

Conclusion

Indore loses 65% of its drinking water to contamination, which is more than just a number; it is a clear indication of the major problems of urban water management that the city is unable to solve on its own. When several million litres of water are either lost or contaminated, the resulting effects are: increased health problems, the loss of money, and the decrease in people’s trust in the local government.

The solution is to have a well-rounded plan, enforcement of water quality standards, investment in pipeline upgrades, timely repairs, and transparency in monitoring without jumping into action only after a disaster. Clean water is a basic human right, and the guarantee of a safe and reliable water supply should be the foremost concern of not only policymakers but also utilities and the general public.

Also Read: Europe’s Water Reserves Are Drying Up As Climate Breakdown Accelerates

FAQs

1. How come Indore loses 65% of its drinking water?

Due to physical leaks, illegal connections, theft, delayed maintenance, and old infrastructure, all these factors combined lead to huge “non-revenue water.”

2. Can we say the water is safe now?

There were several incidents of contamination recently, along with lab test results showing that there are serious risks in some localities; the administration therefore recommends treating or boiling drinking water till things get normal.

3. What is the solution needed to correct it?

Several upgrade works of the water system should be carried out, such as renewing pipes, enhancing leak detection, conducting water quality tests more frequently, doing repair work on time, and making sure that every household has a water connection.

Also Read: One In Seven Of England’s Bathing Waters Now Polluted, Report Warns