Requests for water ROs, fans to rise with approaching summer

With the summer approaching, the demand for water ROs, fans, refrigerators, ACs, etc., and the maintenance of these electronic appliances is slated to go up in the

With the summer approaching, the demand for water ROs, fans, refrigerators, ACs, etc., and the maintenance of these electronic appliances is slated to go up in the district, even though they do not fall under the category of essential services.

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Residents are already coming up with individual requests for the repair of these services which are necessary for day to day life.

“With most people staying at home during the lockdown and summers already here, water consumption is high. We have already received five to seven complaints about servicing or repairs of RO systems but the technicians cannot come due to the lockdown. Authorities should issue some passes at least so that we don’t face too many problems going forward,” said Amit Gupta, president, Apartment Owners’ Association, Prateek Wisteria.

Residents said that these services don’t look essential at first, but are critical for life.

“RO systems need periodic servicing, but mechanics have refused to come home to do so, which has forced us to use alternate methods. This in itself can become a health hazard in the long run, especially as the inherent quality of water in Noida is already poor,” said Preeti, a resident of Gaur City.

The public feels that these services have been overlooked. “The Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA) is getting a lot of requests for electricians and plumbers. There were two blackouts in F block but the fault could not be sorted without a trained technician. This is a more serious issue for individual plotted houses located in several Noida sectors. All of these houses also have their own RO plants to get access to safe drinking water and they require frequent servicing. Many residents are facing issues and have resorted to bottled water, which in itself is a risk,” said Sanjeev Kumar, president, RWA, Sector 51.

He also said the refrigerator of a family broke down so the residents are now pitching in with daily supplies. So giving access to technicians is important at this time, said Kumar.

Residents feel that authorities should add at least authorised service centres to their essential list so that necessary precautions like social distancing can also be maintained.

“For top-floor residents of a high rise, not having an AC is adding to the misery. The first two weeks of summer require all such services. Maybe different services can be scheduled sector-wise for ACs, refrigerators and ROs. Some societies have centralised RO systems. If they go down and are not repaired, the entire society may have to go without drinking water,” said Rajiva Singh, president, Noida Federation of Apartment Owners’ Association.

Officials said that these services don’t fall under the category of essential services. However, if the need arises, the government can take the requests under consideration.

“We have been approached by an RO company already and we have sent a recommendation for allowing this particular service. As far as the other requests are concerned, summer is still some time away and the lockdown is till April 15. In case it extends, a call can be taken then depending on the situation,” said Anil Kumar, deputy commissioner, industries, Gautam Budh Nagar.

The administration and police had issued necessary passes to the personnel of essential services and their supporting industries and are taking action against fraudulent people.

On Wednesday, the Sector 24 police had even arrested two men roaming around in the district with fake media I-cards, which comes under essential services.