Greater Noida to supply Ganga water to entire city by June 2024

Greater Noida authority has also roped in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur to carry out a study

The Greater Noida authority has decided to supply Ganga water to the city’s all residential areas by this June.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath had inaugurated the Ganga water project on November, 2022. (ANI Photo)

It has approved ₹9 crore to complete the work of boundary wall on 18 underground reservoirs (UGRs) built to deliver Ganga water to new residential areas, located in Greater Noida West area, known as Noida Extension.

The authority presently supplies Ganga water to 44 residential sectors in Greater Noida’s eastern part. But the supply is not smooth since the old pipeline to deliver water in these areas is rusted and witnesses frequent leakages, disrupting the water supply.

Though Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath, inaugurated the Ganga water project on November 1, 2022, the supply remained erratic. Since then, the authority is trying to fix the glitches for a smooth supply.

“We are supplying the Ganga water supply to sectors, where the pipeline was already laid in the past. And the work of laying the water pipeline is underway to deliver the Ganga water in residential sectors located in Greater Noida West areas,” said Ravikumar NG, chief executive officer of the Greater Noida authority.

“We aim to deliver Ganga water supply in all areas by June end, 2024,” he added.

Meanwhile, the authority has also roped in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur to carry out a study, determine the technical glitches in the pipeline, and help in smoothening the water supply.

It will soon submit its report so that the water supply can be improved in areas, where water is being delivered and how uninterrupted supply can be started in the areas, where the supply is yet to reach.

At least 14 residential sectors of Greater Noida West will start getting the Ganga water supply by June-end, as these areas still depend on the groundwater for their needs.

“We will replace the water pipeline that is old if required and also change the gradient if needed to maintain the smooth supply in each sector…,” said Ravikumar NG.

The authority is about to complete the work on 18 underground reservoirs (UGRs) from where the Ganga water will be delivered to each household, said officials.

The Greater Noida authority had in 2005 started work on Ganga water project having a 210 million litres per day capacity. But due to land disputes with farmers and official negligence, the work continued to get delayed before November 1, 2022, when it finally inaugurated officials with supply in few areas.

Majority of the group housing complexes depend on the ground water supply that is not fit for drinking with high level of total dissolved solids and saline water. And even in 44 sectors, where the authority supply Ganga water the pressure remains poor due to leakages in the pipes. But now the authority plans to lay the new plastic made pipelines from Jaitpur water reservoir to all sectors so that it does not catch rust or get damaged easily, said officials.

The Greater Noida authority has failed multiple times in keeping its promise to deliver Ganga water to Greater Noida West area, said Neetu Rai, a Greater Noida West resident in Sector 1.

“We hope that this time the authority will start delivering Ganga water supply to Greater Noida West area in June this year. … we have to depend on ground water that is saline and not fit for drinking,” she added.