Delta 1 illnesses: Greater Noida denies sewage contamination

Teams from the community health centre at Dadha, Dankaur, conducted a medical camp in the sector on Thursday following complaints from residents, said the Gautam Budh Nagar health department

The Greater Noida Authority on Thursday said preliminary checks had not found any sewage mixing in the water supply, even as residents of Delta 1 reported cases of illness, including diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach ache, after complaints of foul-smelling and allegedly contaminated water earlier this week.

Following complaints of contaminated water supply, the Greater Noida Authority conducted spot inspections in Delta 1 on Wednesday. (HT Photo)

According to the Gautam Budh Nagar health department, teams from the community health centre at Dadha, Dankaur, conducted a medical camp in the sector on Thursday following complaints from residents. As part of the exercise, three survey teams carried out a door-to-door assessment covering 158 households to evaluate possible health impacts linked to the water supply.

Chief medical officer (CMO) Dr Narendra Kumar said the survey identified seven residents with health issues. “These included one case of diarrhoea, one of vomiting, two cases of fever and three cases of cold and cough. Health teams conducted a door-to-door survey in the area and provided necessary medical support,” he said.

Officials said that as a preventive measure, health workers distributed 10 oral rehydration salts (ORS) to each household during the survey.

Residents said the health camp was organised only after several people complained of falling ill following concerns over the quality of water supplied to the area. According to the Delta 1 Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), around eight to 10 residents experienced symptoms such as diarrhoea, vomiting and stomach ache, which lasted for four to five days.

RWA president Pramod Bhati said the immediate problem had been resolved after intervention by the authority. “The damaged pipeline from where sewer water was allegedly getting mixed has been fixed by the authority, and the situation is normal at present. Delta 1 has six residential blocks with an estimated population of around 20,000,” he said.

However, residents expressed apprehension over the recurrence of similar incidents. Bhati said the issue was not new to the sector. “This has happened earlier as well. Around four to five months ago, another block in the sector faced a similar problem related to water contamination,” he said.

Another resident, Rishipal, said while the recent leakage had been repaired, there was little confidence that the fix would last. “The leakage has been fixed for now, but this happens often. We are afraid this may not be a permanent solution,” he said.

A resident from C Block, Surendra Singh, alleged that complaints about foul-smelling water were initially not taken seriously. “People started falling sick and only then was the issue addressed. That delay is what scared many families in the area,” he said.

Following complaints of contaminated water supply, the Greater Noida Authority conducted spot inspections in Delta 1 on Wednesday. Officials said the preliminary checks did not reveal any evidence of sewage mixing with potable water. However, inspectors detected a faulty household supply connection at one location and a pipeline leakage at another.

The water department also collected additional samples during evening supply hours and sent them for laboratory testing. The test reports are awaited, officials said.

On Thursday, additional chief executive officer (ACEO) Sunil Kumar Singh also visited Delta 1 along with officials of the water department to review complaints related to the alleged contaminated water supply, officials said.

The water department has urged residents to promptly report any instance of foul-smelling or contaminated water so that swift action can be taken. Complaints can be registered with the senior manager (water) at 9205691408 or the manager (water) at 8937024017, officials said.

Meanwhile, Greater Noida Authority chief executive officer N G Ravi Kumar has directed the water department to conduct random water quality testing across the city to prevent similar incidents. Similar checks have also been ordered in industrial, commercial, IT and institutional areas, officials added, as the authority seeks to strengthen monitoring of water quality citywide.