‘Water mafia’ cuts supply in newly developed sectors

The pipeline was damaged near Pioneer Park, Sector 61. It took the GMDA 24 hours to repair the pipeline; Rs1.5 lakh were spent to restore supply by Sunday morning.

The water mafia damaged the master water pipeline of the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) Friday night, just three days after the authority was commissioned to start canal water supply for residents living in sectors 58 to 67—all privately developed residential societies, officials said.

The pipeline was damaged near Pioneer Park, Sector 61. It took the GMDA 24 hours to repair the pipeline at cost of ₹1.5 lakh. (Sourced)

The pipeline was damaged near Pioneer Park, Sector 61. It took the GMDA 24 hours to repair the pipeline; Rs1.5 lakh were spent to restore supply by Sunday morning.

The GMDA had already laid the pipeline infrastructure for these sectors and connected it with the Chandu Budhera water treatment plant (WTP).

On April 30, the authority commissioned a supply of 100 million litres daily (MLD) of canal water from the WTP for these areas, which had been deprived of government-supplied canal water, despite the fact that the people living in these sectors had already paid external and internal development charges to the Haryana government through their respective builders.

For the last few years, residents, who had started living in these newly developed sectors were waiting for canal water supply from the authority, that was finally commissioned on April 30.

“Only three days after it was commissioned, the water tanker mafia sabotaged the GMDA’s newly commissioned pipeline. Water continued to leak for many hours. This is a serious matter and we have lodged complaints against the mafia with the authority, asking them to register a police case and initiate lawful action. There is no fear among the water mafia, which has been puncturing the water supply line of our society. This needs to stop. This is government property and public money is involved. The water mafia cannot damage it for their personal benefit.” Sudhir Krishnan, a resident of Pioneer Park, Sector 61, said.

Lalit Arora, chief engineer, GMDA, said, “We will lodge a police complaint on Monday. The GMDA is planning more actions against the water tanker mafia.” On February 19, ATS Kocoon, a residential housing society in Sector 109, had lodged a police complaint against two persons for sabotaging their canal water pipeline, forcing the society to buy tanker water