India, Jan. 8 -- Contaminated tap water has been making urban India sick across metros, state capitals and smaller cities alike. Between January 2025 and January 7, 2026, at least 5,500 people fell ill in 26 cities, including 16 state capitals, across 22 states and Union territories after consuming sewage-contaminated piped drinking water. At least 34 people died.

Diarrhoea was the most commonly reported illness, followed by typhoid, hepatitis and prolonged fever, according to media reports and official statements from affected states.

Across cities, the cause has been strikingly similar. In almost every case, contamination was traced to sewage mixing with drinking water - often because ageing, corroded or poorly laid water pipelines ru...