South City-2 residents threaten protest if water scarcity persists

Residents of South City-2 have threatened to protest persistent water shortage, which they allege has been the case since the lockdown was imposed last month, if

Residents of South City-2 have threatened to protest persistent water shortage, which they allege has been the case since the lockdown was imposed last month, if civic authorities fail to take immediate action. Residents of Block D of the society said they have written to civic agencies, but no one is paying heed to their complaints.

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Around 5,000 residents in the area have been dependent on water tankers since March 22 due to a water shortage. Blocks D and F of South City-2, among others located near the Arcadia Market, are the worst hit.

“The water crisis is not new to us. There is no one to hold the builder and the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) accountable. Although the MCG has taken over the area, services are still with the developer and they have been delaying it for long. They blame each other, but there is no relief for residents, who have to bear the brunt of the crisis,” Rakesh Yadav, the vice-president of South City 2 RWA, said.

The area was taken over by the MCG last year but the services are still with the developer. Water is supplied by the Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) to the developer, who routes it to the colony.

“In South City-2, the developer had attached its properties to fund a ₹23.52 crore payment to the MCG to fix deficiencies. The handover is yet to be initiated in the colony, as the MCG found a ₹11.76-crore property to be stuck in litigation, and has been waiting for the developer to either pay the sum or attach another property of the same value,” said an MCG official, requesting anonymity.

GMDA officials said they have cross-checked their supply and there is no interruption at their end. “We have checked the water pressure and supply, which is regular, but the problem lies with the developer and their pipelines. We are supplying to the developer, further responsibility is of their team,” said Ankit Sheoran, junior engineer, GMDA.

Residents alleged that due to lockdown there is hardly any availability of staff at the developer’s office to resolve their issues. They have had to fall back on private tanker operators to meet their daily needs and are paying nearly ₹1,000 for a tanker, which is shared by two families every day.

“Since March 24, water supply has been irregular and unreliable. Hence, I had no option but to rely on the services of a private tank operator to ensure enough supply to meet our day-to-day needs. The water is supplied by GMDA to the developer and it is routed through them,” Bhupinder Singh, a resident of Block D, South City-2, said.

“Many residents are using boosting pumps and some have constructed underground tanks, due to which the water pressure is low and does not reach all houses. The builder’s ignorance about infrastructure is the major problem and they are still neglecting the issue. There are no back-up plans to deal with emergency situations,” Kuldeep Chillar, another resident said.

The representative of the developer said that he is unaware of the water supply issue and refused further comment.