In upscale Gurgaon society, 96 fall sick, water contamination suspected

Priti Anand, the residents’ welfare association secretary, said she and her domestic help fell sick on Wednesday and initially assumed it was due to food poisoning.

“Later, when other residents posted on the society group about experiencing symptoms of vomiting and diarrhoea, we realised there could be an issue with the water. We informed the authorities. This is a matter of concern and has caused panic among residents. As of now, we are dependent on bottled water for consumption. The society’s swimming pool has been drained out,” she said.

“Water tanks are cleaned on a regular basis and we maintain records of water testing. GMDA (Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority) should test the water supply,” she said.

Anamika Sagar, a resident of the society, said that on Wednesday, her daughter and husband fell sick. “We assumed it is due to a stomach infection. My husband vomited while he was returning from work and later got diarrhoea. I got concerned as my daughter has a board exam in the coming week. Yesterday, I experienced similar symptoms. Then, we heard that many residents had come down with symptoms. We suspect this is due to water supply contamination and authorities should look into it. We are using bottled water and boiling it,” she said.

GMDA officials denied that the water supply was contaminated, stating that the society’s internal storage and underground tanks were not cleaned and maintained regularly, causing the issue.

“Water supply by GMDA across all connections in the city carries no trace of any contamination. The issue lies in the DLF Westend Heights society where the water quality complaint has been raised. Their internal storage and underground tanks are not cleaned and maintained regularly, which is why the residents are facing difficulties. The management has to look into their internal operation and maintenance of these water tanks. The water being supplied from GMDA pipelines to all corners of Gurgaon is completely safe and free of any health hazards,” said Abhinav Verma, executive engineer, Infrastructure 2, GMDA.