Greater Noida residents fall ill due to alleged water contamination

Within days of the Indore water contamination tragedy, which led to the death of at least 15 people, many residents of the Delta 1 Sector of Greater Noida, Uttar Pradesh, have reportedly fallen sick after drinking contaminated water. The incident sparked speculations about whether sewage had mixed with the drinking water supply line, endangering public safety.

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Those affected have complained of suffering from vomiting, fever, stomachache, and loose motion after drinking tap water in the parts of the sector on Tuesday (January 6) and Wednesday (January 7).

Sewage mixing allegations emerge

However, officials of the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority (GNIDA) denied any mixing of sewage with the potable water supply, claiming tests conducted so far found the water to be clean.

Rishipal Bhati, a resident and former president of the local residents' welfare association, told PTI on Thursday (January 8) that overflow of sewage and leakage in pipelines, particularly in C Block, led to the problem.

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“Around six to seven families fell ill with symptoms such as vomiting, fever and loose motion after consuming contaminated water,” he said, adding that similar complaints had earlier surfaced from other blocks as well.

The incident follows heightened concern over water safety following recent cases reported from Indore in Madhya Pradesh, where multiple deaths were linked to the consumption of contaminated water, and from Gandhinagar in Gujarat, where several people reportedly fell ill due to a polluted water supply.

Reports of contaminated potable water threatening public health also came from states such as Odisha, Karnataka and West Bengal.

Authorities across states have since stepped up monitoring and testing of drinking water sources.

The residents of Delta 1 alleged that sewage water from blocked sewer lines was entering the household supply through broken pipelines.

One resident complained of a severe stomachache after consuming tap water, while others said water leakage has been a recurring issue in the sector.

Harendra Bhati, a resident of Beta 1 Sector located nearby, claimed that sewage overflow is a common problem in several parts of Greater Noida.

“I have raised the issue multiple times, but no permanent solution has been implemented,” he said.

Authority denies contamination claims

GNIDA officials said the authority took immediate note of the complaints on Wednesday, with a water department team visiting the affected homes and testing water samples.

“The samples were found to be clean. There was a supply connection issue in one house and a leak at another, which were fixed immediately,” a senior GNIDA official said.

Greater Noida Authority CEO N G Ravi Kumar has directed random water testing across the city in view of the recent incidents elsewhere, officials said.

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Additional CEO Sunil Kumar Singh said the water department has been instructed to conduct random testing in all areas where the authority supplies water.

“Fresh samples were collected again on Wednesday evening after the water supply resumed, which will be sent for testing,” he said.

Singh added that builders and apartment owners' associations have been asked to regularly clean the water reservoirs, get samples tested and submit reports to the authority.

A letter is also being issued to the residents, urging them to immediately report any instance of contaminated water supply, he added.

The health department organised a free medical camp in Delta 1 on Wednesday, where 23 people were tested, and seven patients suffering from vomiting and diarrhoea were treated, the chief medical officer of Gautam Buddh Nagar, Narendra Kumar, said.

(With agency inputs)