Murky water in Sector 19 taps

Noida: Residents of Noida’s Sector 19 have complained of dirty water being supplied to them in the past few days even as Ganga water supply is scheduled to be halted for about a month from Oct 10 to Nov 11 for annual de-silting and cleaning of the Upper Ganga Canal.
“Dirty water has been supplied in the taps in Sector 19 for the past few days. The water, which resembles gutter water, is so dirty that it cannot be used for any purpose like washing or bathing.Repeated complaints made to the authorities concerned in the past several years, both written and verbal, on this annual issue have proved futile. It appears that it is beyond the control and capacity of the water department of Noida Authority to supply clean drinking water in the sector on sustainable basis, given the poor infrastructure,” said R C Gupta, general secretary, Sector 19 RWA.
Gupta also said that the water pressure was very low. Despite reporting the problem to Noida Authority officials, he said there has been no response so far.
“The matter was reported earlier as well. but it was closed without the problem being rectified,” Gupta said.
Water supply in the area is also frequently disrupted for different reasons, he said. “The residents are agitated over the issue. We’d prefer that the matter be handed over to some private agency,” said Gupta, who has written to Noida Authority CEO P K Agarwal, MP and minister Mahesh Sharma and MLA Vimla Batham on the matter.
Moreover, because the sector is one of the early settlements of Noida, much of its infrastructure is old and in need of repair.
When contacted, Atul Kumar, project engineer (Jal 4), said the water department was already in the process of flushing out toxins from filters, valves and other purifying measures such as chlorinating it in the sector.
“As for repair of pipes, the matter is under e-tendering. Once it comes through, work will begin on the same,” Kumar said.
In the absence of Ganga water from October 10 for a month, Kumar said the department was prepared for the situation, with enough water from underground storage tanks, rain wells and groundwater sources.