A major proposal worth Rs 18 crore to tackle the drinking water crisis in Khoda, Ghaziabad, was approved at a meeting of the Khoda Municipal Council board. The council announced that work will begin within a month, prioritising areas facing the most acute water shortages. Along with this, 10 other proposals were also cleared during the meeting.

The decision comes shortly after a 19-day campaign by Dainik Jagran highlighting the severe water crisis in Khoda under the headline “1.2 million population in Khoda yearns for water”. 

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Following the campaign, Cabinet Minister and Sahibabad MLA Sunil Sharma, District Magistrate Ravindra Kumar Mandar, Municipal Chairperson Mohini Sharma, and Executive Officer Shailendra Kumar had assured residents that concrete steps would be taken to resolve the issue.

Municipal Chairperson Mohini Sharma had earlier stated that work on drinking water solutions would begin in January. Just 13 days later, the municipal council approved the proposal, under which Rs 18 crore will be sanctioned from the 15th Finance Commission. The plan includes the construction of underground reservoirs and the supply of drinking water to households through pipeline networks.

During the meeting, councillors expressed concern over the water crisis and demanded a comprehensive strategy. Leader of the councillors’ group, Satish Gupta, stressed the need for a solid action plan, a demand supported by other members.

Acting Executive Officer Shailendra Singh said that proposals related to drinking water pipelines in wards, action against illegal dairy operators, identification of municipal properties, construction of Ambedkar Park, and house tax collection were also approved. However, the proposal related to building construction bylaws was not cleared.

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Tensions rose when Junior Engineer Navneet Gupta suggested diverting water from borewells in wards with sufficient supply to water-scarce areas. Councillors opposed the idea, warning that it could create shortages across all wards.

It was also pointed out that a proposal to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) on drinking water was passed in July last year, but councillors were not provided with a copy. Satish Gupta demanded that the draft proposal related to the water project be shared with councillors to ensure transparency.