After 74 residents of Khambhata village, Balod district, Chhattisgarh, became sick following a community meal organized on the occasion of pitripaksh, contaminated water has become the focal point of a public health concern. The event took place at Chain Singh's house, where shortly after eating the meal, several people, mostly women and children, reported symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea. According to media accounts, 22 children were among the victims. The majority of the locals have now recovered, while the hospital quickly admitted the others.

The local MLA Kunwar Singh Nishad responded while talking to media said, "After learning on Sunday, I hurried to the village and notified the health authorities and district administration.” Only 10–12 individuals is currently undergoing treatment in hospitals and are under observation right now; the others have recovered quickly," he added. The district health department also set up a makeshift medical camp in the village to manage the situation. 

The administration swung into action immediately and transported most of the seriously affected patients to Rajnandgaon Medical College for specialised care, underscoring the seriousness of the incident. 

Mahesh Suryawanshi, chief medical and health officer, said that the initial investigation prima facie points towards contaminated drinking water from a borewell, which was behind so many people falling ill. “People drank water from a new borewell, where a new motor was installed two days ago. It's a new bore, and maybe the water was not tested," he said, while talking to the media, pointing to possible neglect in water quality inspections. 

This is not an isolated occurrence, as Balod district has a long-standing problem with polluted water. People in the past have also expressed concerns about the general water supply, pointing out that some may have consumed water from a nearby well. As investigation to ascertain the cause of the tragedy continues, it becomes increasingly clear that inadequate testing and water management pose a serious threat to public health in the area.

Meanwhile, in Balod town people staged a protest led by mostly local youths that turned the water issue in Balod political. Their demand revolved around a fundamental right, access to clean drinking water. While the Balod Municipal Chairman Vikas Chopra dismissed the protest, labelling it a "BJP-sponsored program." Chopra stated that the demonstrators' complaints were politically motivated, and the administration had already addressed the problem by providing bottled clean water.

However, Kamlesh Soni, a BJP corporator, who joined the demonstrators, while talking to media personnel asserted that the municipality's failure to ensure safe drinking water had exacerbated the issue. 

Protester Ashutosh Kaushik said, "We have been struggling for three months. Many of our neighbours are forced to drink contaminated water. Despite multiple representations and complaints, the municipality has not paid notice; and we are still getting dirty water from our piped connections.” 

Young activist Abhinay Yadav, reflecting similar ideas, demanded the resignation of the municipality chairperson. “While we suffer, the municipal authorities are turning a blind eye to the contaminated drinking water problem. Drinking water is one of our most basic rights,” Yadav said.

The episode brings to light ingrained problems with Balod's water management, therefore casting doubt on political responsibility, public health policy, and governance. Given that the town is still recovering from the epidemic, the need for methodical water source testing is more urgent than ever.