Noida Residents Fall Ill as Contaminated Water Crisis Worsens in Alpha 2 Sector
Over fifty residents in Greater Noida's Alpha 2 sector have reported severe stomach disorders this week. They blame black, foul-smelling water supplied to their homes for seven consecutive days. This alarming incident follows another health scare in neighboring Delta 1 sector just a week ago. There, at least a dozen people fell ill after sewer water possibly mixed with drinking supplies due to a pipeline leak.
Aging Infrastructure and Mounting Health Complaints
Alpha 2 stands as one of Greater Noida's oldest residential sectors. Developed more than thirty years ago, it houses over twenty thousand people across blocks A through F. Residents point to the aging water supply network as the root cause. They describe a system riddled with cracks and leakages, making it highly vulnerable to contamination for a long time.
Complaints surged earlier this week, prompting the Dadha-Kasna community health centre to organize a medical camp in the area. Ved Prakash, a pharmacist at the centre, provided clear numbers. "We treated sixty-four people for various ailments," he stated. "Fifty patients displayed symptoms directly linked to water-borne diseases. These included vomiting, diarrhoea, and fever."
Health workers distributed medicines during the camp. Auxiliary nurse midwives also collected water samples from multiple households for laboratory testing. Officials still await those results. Similarly, lab test reports for water samples collected from Delta 1 on January 7 remain pending.
Official Response and Resident Frustration
In response to growing public concern, the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority took action on January 9. GNIDA constituted a high-level technical committee to review the city's entire water supply system. The authority also ordered an urgent audit of pipelines, reservoirs, and water ATMs.
Despite these administrative steps, residents say they see little change on the ground. "There is no respite from sewer water mixing with our supply lines," said Subhash Bhati, president of the Alpha 2 Residents' Welfare Association. "This continues despite our repeated complaints, health camps, and water sampling. Nearly seventy residents are still unwell because of the contaminated water."
The situation escalated on Wednesday when water supply to the sector stopped completely. This sudden halt left residents scrambling to manage their daily chores. Manoj Choudhary, an assistant manager in GNIDA's water department, explained the move. He said authorities briefly halted supply to plug fresh leakages.
Residents, however, questioned the lack of prior notice. "Black, foul-smelling water is still coming through the pipelines, and now there is no supply at all," one resident noted. "Families already forced to buy bottled water received no advance information."
Financial Burden and Administrative Apathy
The crisis places a significant financial strain on households. Shakti Singh, a local resident, shared his family's ordeal. "My wife and children have had stomach pain for days," he said. "We traced it back to the contaminated water. We switched to bottled water last week, but how long can ordinary families afford this extra expense?"
Other residents expressed deep anger over what they perceive as administrative neglect. Deepak Nagar voiced a common sentiment. "People are falling sick, our surroundings are filthy, and officials sit comfortably in their offices," he stated. "No visible work is happening to solve this problem."
A recent Times of India report highlighted broader infrastructure issues. It described how foul water and sludge have spilled onto internal roads, parks, and green belts for nearly eighteen months. GNIDA has largely relied on temporary local fixes rather than permanent solutions.
NP Singh, general secretary of Alpha 2's RWA, confirmed the pattern. He said repeated complaints over this long period have brought no lasting relief. Alok Nagar, a resident of Delta 2 sector, echoed this concern. He reported that sewer water has collected in a park in the sector's I-Block. "No one can walk there anymore," he said. "The stench has become unbearable for nearby residents."
The water contamination crisis in Greater Noida exposes critical flaws in urban infrastructure. It underscores the urgent need for systemic upgrades to protect public health and restore resident trust.
