Last year, a NITI Ayog report had suggested that India is on a brink of a severe water crisis with as many as 600 million people facing “acute water shortage.” While the report had asked everyone to do their bit to save this precious resource, authorities in Indirapuram seem to be least bothered about it.
Gallons of potable drinking water is wasted every day on a 400-metres long stretch in the township as the pipeline supplying Ganga Jal is broken at many places causing leakage and waterlogging in the surrounding areas.
The residents told City Spidey that the pipeline between Swarna Jayanti Park Road and the backyard of ATS Advantage (a high rise in Indirapuram) has been leaking from three points for more than five months now.
“Utter wastage of thousands of litres of potable drinking water happens every day here. But no action has been taken to stop this wastage,” said Shekhar Vikas, secretary of Apartments Owners Association (AOA) of ATS.
For a couple of hours during the day when water supply takes place, water is continuously jetting out of the broken points, spilling on the road forming a streamlet by the roadside. The spillage covers the entire cycling track of the road.
“Motorists find it difficult to drive as the road becomes narrow but the worst affected are cyclists as they face the threat of skidding,” added Shekhar.
The severe wastage of water has been going on unchecked at a time when the administration has failed to provide Ganga Jal to many parts of Ghaziabad including Raj Nagar Extension. Residents in those areas are dependent on groundwater which is depleting with each passing day.
When City Spidey contacted RP Singh, Ghaziabad Development Authority's chief of Indirapuram, he informed that the pipeline in question belongs to Jal Nigam in Ghaziabad.
“We have received complaints from the residents about the broken pipeline and apprised Jal Nigam about the situation,” said Singh.
Rajeev Kumar, junior engineer of GDA in Indirapuram, blamed Jal Nigam for not resolving the matter. “They have been informed about the situation many times by us but still nothing has been done to resolve it. Their callousness is wasting thousands of litres of water and is also weakening the strength of the road,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, the residents said that the continuous waterlogging has led to the development of craters on the road.
The water pipeline carrying Ganga Jal comes from the water treatment plant in Pratap Vihar, Ghaziabad. The water is then stored in underground reservoir in Niti Khand and is further supplied by Jal Nigam to the colonies looked after by the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam.
City Spidey tried to contact executive engineer of supply department of Jal Nigam but the calls went unanswered.
The only silver lining of the breakage is the sight of slum dwellers who gather at the leakage points during water supply hours so as to collect water to be used for their daily chores.
But this in no way justifies the sheer wastage of public money and the precious resource.
