GMDA collects ‘contaminated’ water samples from Gurugram condo

Gurugram: A team of officials from Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Saturday visited Westend Heights in DLF 5 and collected samples of drinking water being supplied in the condominium, a day after more than 200 residents complained of health issues due to the consumption of “contaminated drinking water” supplied by the authority there

Updated on: May 29, 2022, 16:27:03 IST

By Leena Dhankhar

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Gurugram: A team of officials from Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) on Saturday visited Westend Heights in DLF 5 and collected samples of drinking water being supplied in the condominium, a day after more than 200 residents complained of health issues due to the consumption of “contaminated drinking water” supplied by the authority there.

At least 205 residents of the condominium alleged that they have been falling ill over the past four days — the youngest among them being a two-year-old boy, currently admitted to hospital for diarrhoea — after consuming drinking water. Most of the residents have complained of suffering from nausea and vomiting.

Abhinav Verma, executive engineer (infra II division), GMDA, said that they are examining the situation. “We supply drinking water to several other housing complexes in and around the area, but none of them reported similar issues. We have collected water samples from Westend Heights, and will send those to the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) lab — which is the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) — to find out the contamination sources,” Verma said.

Residents said the problems started on Wednesday as members of a few families reported nausea and vomiting, and the situation worsened on Thursday as more residents fell ill.

Priti Anand, secretary of the RWA, said that it appeared to be a bacterial infection. “Water samples from input and output points have been collected by the department concerned and the condominium authorities for testing, to understand the contamination source. The test reports are awaited, which will help us decide the further course of action,” she said.

The RWA members, meanwhile, said that they strictly follow all norms under the National Building Code, 2016, and guidelines for water quality monitoring as prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board, (CPCB).

Ashok Tandon, a member of the RWA, said, “We have ordered water testing kits online and will test samples of water in underground tanks and the supply line. We will also share the reports with our residents and keep them updated about all steps being taken.”

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said, “Based on the sample reports, we will take corrective measures on Monday. Health teams have conducted tests on the residents, and they were advised to take medicine and consume bottled water for now.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Leena Dhankhar
Leena Dhankhar is Senior Editor and Bureau Chief, Gurugram, at Hindustan Times, where she has spent over 17 years chronicling the transformation of one of India's fastest-growing urban regions. From starting her career as a crime reporter to leading the Gurugram bureau, her journalism has been defined by investigative reporting, in-depth storytelling and an unwavering focus on public interest. Over nearly two decades, she has reported extensively across crime, politics, civic governance, elections, real estate, environment, courts, sports, education and entertainment, covering Gurugram, Faridabad, Nuh and Palwal. Her reporting has exposed several major scams and systemic failures, including insurance frauds, waste management irregularities, illegal arms manufacturing units in Nuh, illegal mining in the Aravallis, organised crime networks and governance lapses affecting millions of residents. Known for her investigative work and exclusive stories, Leena has reported on high-impact national issues, including the Nicaragua charter flight carrying Indian migrants that was turned back amid allegations of human trafficking, exposing the growing network of illegal immigration rackets. Her work has also focused on gang wars, prison administration, juvenile crime, women and child protection systems, the functioning of the Juvenile Justice Board and Child Welfare Committee, and environmental challenges such as pollution, waterlogging and deteriorating civic infrastructure. Beyond hard news, Leena has extensively documented Haryana's rich heritage, forests and wildlife, bringing attention to the state's historical landmarks, biodiversity, conservation efforts and ecological challenges through immersive reportage and feature writing. Her journalism has consistently gone beyond breaking news. She has documented Gurugram's rapid urbanisation through long-form narratives and enterprise reporting on issues ranging from pothole-ridden roads, flooding and waste management to the changing social fabric of India's Millennium City. She also writes widely read feature columns, including The Outsider, Changemaker, and Concern for Gurugram, profiling people, places and ideas shaping the city's identity. Leena is the author of Gurugram School Murder, published by Juggernaut Books, a deeply reported account of one of India's most high-profile school murder investigations. She is currently working on her second book, an investigative work exploring some of India's most significant scams and fraud investigations. Beyond print journalism, she has expanded her storytelling through public speaking and digital media. She is a TEDx speaker and has produced podcasts exploring Gurugram's transformation, civic challenges and untold stories. Her work reflects a commitment to narrative journalism that combines rigorous reporting with compelling storytelling. A law graduate with an MBA in Human Resources, Leena brings a multidisciplinary perspective to her reporting, particularly on governance, public policy and legal affairs. She has travelled extensively across India to pursue investigative assignments, often reporting from remote locations and conflict-prone areas in search of stories that matter.Read More