Gurugram condominium residents allege ‘water mafia’ destroyed water pipelines

The maintenance agency of the condominium, ATS Kocoon, located along the Dwarka Expressway, on Monday lodged a complaint with the police against two persons for damaging the society’s pipeline, which was authorised by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA).

Residents of a condominium in Gurugram Sector 109, which received a water connection only two weeks ago, have alleged that members of a ‘water mafia’ destroyed the pipelines on Sunday night and threatened them to continue to hire private tankers for daily use.

ATS Kocoon, in Gurugram Sector 109, had started getting water supply from the GMDA only two weeks ago, residents said. (HT Photo)

The maintenance agency of the condominium, ATS Kocoon, located along the Dwarka Expressway, on Monday lodged a complaint with the police against two persons for damaging the society’s pipeline, which was authorised by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA). An FIR has been registered in this regard.

ATS Kocoon is a high-rise residential group housing society with 444 flats. About 100 families have been living in this society for the past year-and-a-half.

According to the FIR, two persons, in a JCB machine, approached the society and started dismantling the pipeline, located in front of the society, and threatened the staff to buy water by paying ₹3,000 per tanker.

The two persons who destroyed the pipeline used to supply water tankers occasionally to them over the last two years, it has been alleged in the FIR.

“Only two weeks ago did we get a proper water connection from the GMDA’S master line and we stopped hiring tankers. Two men on Saturday night damaged the line but we reconnected it the next day. Again, on Sunday night, they came here, damaged the pipeline again and threatened us,” said Vishal Kumar, senior executive, administration, ATS Kocoon, who lodged the FIR.

He said that the society had been getting water from Basai water treatment plant through GMDA-authorised tankers until recently. “Occasionally (whenever the plant failed or some disruption happened and supply was affected), we used to hire private tankers from locals, not authorised by the GMDA, to fulfil our water need,” he said.

“Currently, we are totally dependent on tanker water. We have been waiting for the GMDA water for long,” said Ritesh Srivastava, a resident.

The incident has exposed the deep-rooted problem of water tanker mafia in the city, which supplies illegally extracted groundwater to many residential areas, unchecked by the district administration. Extraction of groundwater is banned in the district since 2011. A private tanker can supply water from the authorised water treatment plants of the GMDA.

Deepak Kumar, station house officer (SHO), Bajghera police station, where the FIR was registered, said, “I will get an investigation done. I am not aware of the fact as I joined this police station only late Tuesday.”

The management of ATS Kocoon also wrote to the GMDA on Monday, which is the controlling authority, seeking its intervention in this regard.

Sandeep Dahiya, executive engineer, GMDA, said, “We will take up the issue with our seniors as we have been receiving such complaints from many other residential societies too. This is a serious issue and we need to fix it.”

Amit Khatri, deputy commissioner, said, “I will take the strictest (possible) action against the persons for damaging the water pipeline and depriving residents of GMDA water. This is a serious matter and I will call for a thorough probe.”

GMDA started water supply to sectors 99-115 through its newly laid water pipeline along the Dwarka Expressway in January, after receiving applications from over 50 residential societies in the vicinity.

“We have been urging residents of private societies to say no to illegal water tankers. We laid the water pipeline and started supply, and we have adequate water at two plants (for the purpose),” said Dahiya.

In March 2018, upon receiving similar complaints from residents, GMDA chief V Umashankar had taken online the registration of tankers, for supplying water from the Basai and Chandu Budhera plants.

“This (illegal water tankers) is a deep-rooted problem and we have been receiving complaints in this regard from time to time. This problem will soon disappear as GMDA water is reaching every new society,” said Umashankar.