Around 500 residents fall sick at Greater Noida society, foul water blamed

Residents have alleged that the cause of the widespread illness is the supply of contaminated water, which they claim has been a persistent issue at the society owing to poor maintenance of water tanks

A major health scare has gripped Greater Noida West after around 500 residents of Ajnara Homes Society in Sector 16B fell ill within a span of two days, raising serious concerns over a potentially contaminated water supply.

Following the surge in complaints, officials from the Greater Noida authority and the district health department visited the society on Tuesday and collected water samples. (HT Photo)

The high-rise society, located in Sector 16B, reported a sudden spike in cases of vomiting, stomach ache and diarrhoea, with children and elderly residents being the worst affected. Several individuals had to be hospitalised due to the severity of symptoms, said residents.

Residents have alleged that the cause of the widespread illness is the supply of contaminated water, which they claim has been a persistent issue at the society owing to poor maintenance of water tanks.

Chandan Sinha, president, apartment owners association (AOA), Ajnara Homes, said around 500 residents have reported falling sick. “The worst-hit towers are M, J, K, and A. However, by Tuesday, similar complaints were reported from other towers as well. Among the worst affected are children. We have raised the issue with Greater Noida authority and health department officials.”

A resident expressed concern over the unfolding crisis. “The situation is alarming. My whole family, including my children and I, are suffering. We consulted a doctor who said the illness may be due to water contamination,” said Shalu Singh, a resident.

Raj Kumar, a resident of Tower I, said, “People here have been showing symptoms of diarrhoea for the last two to three days. The team suspects the water is contaminated and is causing the illness.”

“After we started using bottled water from the market, our symptoms have abated, which clearly shows that the water is contaminated,” said Arti Singh, another resident.

Deepak Adhikari, a resident of J Tower, was hospitalised after reportedly consuming the contaminated water. “I’ve been in hospital for the past two days. I posted a video online to highlight what we’re going through,” he said.

According to the AOA, the society comprises around 8,000 residents, with 2,200 flats across 15 towers.

Following the surge in complaints, officials from the Greater Noida authority and the district health department visited the society on Tuesday and collected water samples.

Chief medical officer of Gautam Budh Nagar, Dr Narendra Kumar, confirmed that a health camp will be set up on-site from Wednesday. “We’ve inspected the site and collected the necessary data. The report will be made available soon,” he said.

In the meantime, the AOA, in collaboration with two private hospitals, organised temporary medical camps on Monday and Tuesday. Over 60 residents were treated for diarrhoeal symptoms as of Tuesday morning, said AOA representatives.

However, Hemant Rana, the maintenance head of Ajnara Homes, refuted the allegations and offered a different explanation. “All maintenance activities are being conducted properly. On Ram Navami, some residents hosted a community feast, and many started experiencing stomach issues after consuming that food, which may not have been prepared under hygienic conditions. The weather has also turned quite unfavourable. Now, some people are blaming the water supply to divert attention,” he said.

Greater Noida authority officials said that samples have been collected and sent for clinical examination and a report is currently awaited.

In a similar case, several residents of Ecovillage 1 in Greater Noida West had taken ill in February due to suspected water contamination, leading to widespread cases of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Similarly, in September 2024, a similar crisis had struck Ecovillage 2 when over 800 residents of suffered from waterborne illnesses due to contamination.