Bhopal:
In a silent lane of Indore’s Bhagirathpura, grief hangs heavy in the air. An elderly woman sits outside a quiet house, whispering the same sentence over and over again — “God gave us happiness after ten years… and then God took it away.” Inside the room, a small empty bed and an unbearable silence tell the story of a life lost too soon.
In another corner sits a shattered mother — whose body could never produce milk. Following doctors’ advice, her five-and-a-half-month-old baby, Avyaan, was fed packaged milk mixed with tap water — the same water the family trusted every day. The same water that turned out to be poisonous. Today, baby Avyaan is gone.
Contaminated Water Claims Lives in Indore
Several residents of Indore’s Bhagirathpura locality have died after consuming contaminated water. Baby Avyaan is among the victims.
His father, Sunil Sahu, who works in a private courier company, says his son was born after ten long years of prayers. Their daughter Kinjal is 10 years old, and Avyaan’s birth had brought new joy into their lives. But that joy didn’t last.
The baby was perfectly healthy. No illness. No complications. But two days ago, he developed fever and diarrhoea. Doctors prescribed medicines, yet his condition worsened rapidly. By Sunday night, he was critical. On Monday morning, Avyaan died on the way to the hospital.
“No One Told Us The Water Was Contaminated”
The grieving family believes the illness came from the water — something they were never warned about.
Sunil says they did everything they could to ensure safety.
“We filtered the water, used alum, took precautions. No one said the water was contaminated. The whole colony was using it. There was no warning… no advisory,” he says.
The family used Narmada tap water to mix into the baby’s milk because his mother could not breastfeed.
“We trusted the water. We never imagined it was poisonous. He had diarrhoea, we gave medicine… and suddenly he collapsed. Only later did we learn the truth,” Sunil says.
His grandmother breaks down repeatedly.
“We are poor people. Our son works in a private company… that is how the house runs. We cannot blame anyone. God gave us happiness… and then took it away,” she whispers.
Inside the home, the baby’s mother drifts in and out of consciousness. Their 10-year-old daughter Kinjal sits silently, as if aware that something has shattered forever.
A Tragedy Bigger Than One Family
This is not only the story of baby Avyaan Sahu.
It is the story of a mother who trusted what she had.
It is the story of a grandmother who only has tears left.
It is the story of a city that proudly calls itself “clean”, yet hides a silent, deadly reality beneath its claims.
Indore remains quiet. But for one family — silence has become the loudest grief.