Greater Noida West residents continue to face water scarcity nearly two and a half years after officials promised the supply of Ganga water to the area. While Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the Ganga water supply in Greater Noida East in November 2022, the Greater Noida Authority had assured residents that the supply would reach Greater Noida West by March 2023, a deadline that has yet to be met.
As a result, residents are forced to rely on borewell and tanker water. The issue has intensified due to frequent pipeline leakages and faults in the Underground Reservoirs (UGRs), even in areas of Greater Noida East, where water is being supplied.
The Ganga water project, initiated by the Greater Noida Authority in 2005, involves laying a 23-kilometre pipeline from near Dehra on the Upper Ganga Canal. Originally estimated to cost Rs 350 crore, the project’s expenses rose to Rs 800 crore by the time supply began in Greater Noida East. The first phase of the project provides 50 MLD of water out of an 85-cusec capacity.
A total of 25 underground reservoirs have been constructed to support the project. However, due to over-extraction of groundwater in Greater Noida West, water levels continue to drop, raising concerns about long-term sustainability.
ALSO READ: Jharkhand Couple Sold Month-Old Baby For Rs 50,000 Due To Poverty; Infant Rescued On CM's Orders
Residents voiced their concerns over the ongoing crisis:
- “We are having to depend on borewell water. The demand for Ganga water supply has been raised multiple times with the officials of the Authority,” said Siddharth Shukla.
- “Water supply is frequently disrupted due to faulty UGR motors. The water department must resolve this issue immediately,” added Dharmendra Rathi, RWA President, Sector MU-2.
The Greater Noida Authority has assured that the supply to Greater Noida West will begin by the end of October, with approximately 35 per cent of the pipeline work already completed, said AK Singh, Project General Manager.