Gurugram Sector 31 locals allege muddy, foul-smelling water supply for 4 days

Residents said the problem began after an MCG notice regarding underground water tank cleaning work in the area.

More than 400 houses in the Housing Board Colony of Sector 31 have been receiving muddy water supply with a foul odour for the past three days, residents alleged, raising concerns over contamination and public health risks ahead of the monsoon.

A screengrab from the video of contaminated water supply, seen on Monday. (HT Photo)

Residents said the issue began after pump operators of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) circulated a notice on May 22 informing people about cleaning of underground water tanks in the area.

The Housing Board Colony, spread across nine acres, has 474 houses and around 1,200 residents. According to residents, the problem started on Saturday after the water supply was disrupted due to the proposed cleaning work.

“We received a message in our groups saying the water supply would be affected on Saturday due to ongoing underground water tank cleaning work by MCG, so the residents stocked up on water a day before. But on Sunday, after the cleaning, we started getting smelly and muddy water in our pipes. This should not have been the case,” said Naveen Mudgal, RWA president.

Residents said they immediately complained to the junior engineer in the area, but the issue persists.

“Till today, it has been four days; we are still getting dirty water in our houses. We are forced to use the same water for our daily activities. There were so many deaths in Indore due to contaminated water. Do the officials want the same scenario here?” said resident Ramesh Kabbo, who has been living in the colony since 1993.

However, junior engineer (MCG) Rakesh Kumar said the underground tanks in the colony had not yet been cleaned. “The process of cleaning the tanks has begun across the ward. The specific tanks in the colony have not been cleaned yet. The message was intended for the whole ward and not a specific colony. The cleaning project will continue for at least five to six weeks, and the water supply will be affected till then,” Kumar said.

Addressing complaints regarding the contaminated supply, Kumar said MCG teams are trying to identify the source of the problem.

“Plumbers were sent to different houses individually to check for the problem. The problem is not in the MCG water supply line. The individual water line of one of the houses in the colony is running close to the sewer pipeline and has a leakage. We are trying to identify the house,” he said.

Kumar added that the owner of the identified house would have to repair or replace the pipeline to prevent recurrence.

Residents also raised concerns over uncleared drains in the colony ahead of the monsoon.

“Monsoon is close, and none of the drains have been cleaned and desilted,” said Mudgal, adding that residents fear waterlogging and sewage overflow during rains.

Kumar said the estimate for drain cleaning work in ward 13 was sent for approval two weeks ago, and work would begin after approval.