Ghaziabad Residents Report Sewage Mixing in Ganga Water, Sparking Health Crisis
Residents of Abhay Khand in Ghaziabad have raised urgent alarms about contaminated drinking water. They allege that sewer water is mixing directly with the Ganga water supply, triggering a dangerous outbreak of water-borne illnesses across the neighborhood.
Residents Demand Immediate Action from Authorities
Tired of official inaction, the community has sought urgent intervention from the Ghaziabad Municipal Corporation (GMC) and the Jal Nigam. They warn that the situation now poses a serious public health risk to everyone living in the area.
Following numerous complaints of sickness and on direct advice from doctors, residents took matters into their own hands. They collected water samples and sent them to a private laboratory for testing.
Laboratory Tests Confirm Severe Contamination
The test results revealed shocking contamination levels. The laboratory found a presumptive coliform count exceeding 182 per 100 milliliters of water. This finding categorizes the sample as "unsatisfactory" and completely unfit for human consumption.
The presence of coliform bacteria strongly indicates possible sewage contamination in the water supply. This biological marker confirms residents' worst fears about the mixing of sewer and drinking water lines.
Persistent Problem Causes Daily Hardship
BD Sharma, coordinator of the IRS society residents' welfare committee, explained the ongoing crisis. "This problem has persisted for the past fifteen days and is becoming more serious with each passing day," Sharma stated.
He described the water as foul-smelling, visibly dirty, and completely unusable for basic household tasks. "Residents cannot even use it for cooking or brushing their teeth. Many families are now forced to order drinking water daily, which has added significantly to their financial and mental burden," Sharma added.
Families Suffer Direct Health Consequences
A 52-year-old resident shared his family's distressing experience. "In my house alone, two members were diagnosed with typhoid and one with jaundice. We heard about similar cases in neighboring flats. Our doctors advised us to get the water tested, and that's when they discovered the coliform bacteria," he reported.
The contamination is so severe that residents cannot use the water even for washing vegetables due to the overpowering foul smell.
Vulnerable Populations at Particular Risk
Other residents report that several elderly people and young children are complaining of stomach infections, persistent fever, and vomiting. The fear has become so pervasive that one resident admitted, "We are scared to even bathe using this water."
Formal Complaints Filed with Civic Bodies
Ashok Chhabra, a senior member of the residents' committee, confirmed that the issue has been formally escalated to civic authorities. "We have written official letters to GMC and spoken directly to Jal Nigam officials. We are urging them to immediately inspect and repair the faulty sewer and water pipelines," Chhabra stated.
Municipal Corporation Responds
A GMC spokesperson acknowledged the complaints and reported that water samples from the locality have been collected for official testing. "Necessary action will be taken based on the laboratory reports. We will initiate corrective measures at the earliest possible opportunity," the official assured.
Broader Water Safety Concerns in Ghaziabad
These specific complaints emerge against a backdrop of wider concerns about drinking water safety throughout Ghaziabad district.
A recent investigation following water contamination deaths in Indore found coliform contamination in 26 out of 320 water samples collected across Ghaziabad district.
Furthermore, data from 2025 reveals alarming quality failures. Over a quarter of all drinking water samples tested in Ghaziabad city failed to meet prescribed quality standards that year. Specifically, testing laboratories detected coliform bacteria in 539 out of 2,003 samples analyzed during the year.
The situation in Abhay Khand highlights a critical infrastructure and public health challenge that requires immediate and comprehensive intervention from municipal authorities.
