One Bottle Between Life and Death: Daughter Safe After Drinking Packaged Water, Mother Dies After Consuming Contaminated Tap Water in Indore

Indore: In a tragic incident that highlights the deadly consequences of contaminated drinking water, a 74-year-old woman lost her life in Indore after consuming polluted tap water, while her daughter narrowly escaped death—simply because she drank packaged water.

Jyoti Bhuse, a resident of Aurangabad, had come to Indore for a brief two-day visit to meet her elderly parents. By coincidence, she did not stay at her parents’ house on the first day and spent the night at her sister’s place. When she visited her parents the following day, she carried her own bottle of packaged drinking water, a habit that ultimately saved her life.

Contaminated Water Turns Fatal Overnight

On the night of December 29, Jyoti left for Aurangabad by bus after spending time with her parents. She spoke to her mother, Manjula Wade, at around 10:30 pm. Within a few hours, Manjula’s health deteriorated rapidly. After consuming water supplied through a government tap, she developed severe diarrhoea and succumbed shortly thereafter.

Jyoti said that throughout her visit she drank only the packaged water she had brought along, while her mother consumed water from the household supply. “Had I not carried my own water bottle, I might have lost my life as well,” she said.

Elderly Father Left Alone

Today, 79-year-old Digambar Wade, Manjula’s husband, sits alone in their modest 10×20-foot house, where the couple had lived together for decades. “She managed everything in the house. Now I am all alone,” he said, visibly shaken.

Following Manjula’s death, all five of the couple’s daughters rushed to Indore to complete medical formalities, perform last rites, and manage household responsibilities. The family says the tragedy has left their father emotionally and physically vulnerable.

Questions Raised Over Compensation and Accountability

Digambar Wade stated that the compensation provided by the government would largely be exhausted on funeral and ritual expenses. “Whatever remains, I will use for my health,” he said.

Jyoti described the incident as a painful irony. “The same water that took my mother’s life could have taken mine too. That one bottle saved me,” she said.

Meanwhile, amid reports of water contamination in Bhagirathpura, municipal corporation teams have begun cleaning lanes and inspecting pipelines. However, for the Wade family, the damage is irreversible.

The incident has raised serious questions about drinking water safety, civic negligence, and accountability, especially for vulnerable populations dependent on public water supply systems.