Noida: The annual desilting of the Upper Ganga Canal in Haridwar has disrupted water supply to several Noida sectors from Oct 20 to Nov 10, prompting residents to question why the recurring exercise continues to leave the city struggling for water despite being a yearly occurrence.Noida Authority officials said alternative arrangements, including water tankers and additional tube wells, were being deployed. However, residents alleged that these measures were inadequate to meet demand during the prolonged shutdown.“With Ganga water supply suspended until Nov 10, affected areas will receive water through tankers and additional tube wells. Rainwater wells and tube wells are also being operated at full capacity,” said RP Singh, general manager, Noida Authority.Residents of sectors 12, 52, 55, 71 and 72, among others, said the arrangements had failed to ease the shortage.With the primary Ganga water supply suspended, residents in several high-density sectors said they were receiving water at low pressure for barely 1.5 to two hours each in the morning and evening, leaving overhead tanks dry. They also raised concerns about high total dissolved solids (TDS) levels in the limited supply, questioning its suitability for domestic use.“The issue is recurring, yet there is no permanent solution or accountability. Residents have faced a water crisis for five days, with just 1.5 hours of daily supply leaving tanks dry. Even the authority’s promised two-hour supply is inadequate for an entire sector,” said Satnarayan Goyal, RWA president of Sector 55. He warned of a protest if the situation was not addressed.Ramveer Singh Yadav, RWA general secretary of Sector 52, demanded immediate redress and adequate alternative supply arrangements during canal shutdowns.In Sector 12, which has around 35,000 residents, PORWA president Tarsem Chand said the already existing water shortage had worsened since the Ganga supply was suspended, forcing residents to buy water from the market.Sunil Wadhwa, RWA president of Sector 71 Green Avenue, said the situation was particularly severe in B block, questioning the city’s preparedness for a recurring disruption.Noida requires 553 million litres of water a day (MLD), of which 240 MLD comes from Ganga water drawn from treatment plants in Ghaziabad. The remaining demand is met through groundwater and tube wells, raising questions about the adequacy of contingency arrangements when the canal supply is halted annually.
