- By Akansha Pandey
- Fri, 14 Nov 2025 10:33 AM (IST)
- Source:Jagran News Network
The settlement of Indirapuram, which began about four decades ago, has seen its population grow significantly, but essential facilities have not kept pace. Today, drinking water is one of the major problems for its approximately 1,200,000 residents. People living in homes worth crores are forced to contend with issues ranging from low-pressure supply to contaminated water and high Total Dissolved Solids (TDS).
The Core Problem: Supply Vs. Demand
The primary issue stems from a massive gap between the demand for water and the available supply of Ganga water.
Current Supply: Indirapuram receives 15 cusecs of Ganga water from the 100-cusec plant in Siddharth Vihar and 7 cusecs from the 50-cusec plant in Pratap Vihar.
Actual Need: This amount is very low for Indirapuram's population, which requires more than three times this quantity.
The "Solution": To meet this demand, the Water Works Department supplies water by mixing the available Ganga water with groundwater.
Consequences For Water Quality
This reliance on groundwater has severe consequences:
High TDS: Mixing groundwater with Ganga water significantly increases the water's TDS, which often exceeds 1,500, making it unfit for drinking.
Contamination: Many areas in Indirapuram have very old drinking water pipelines that are frequently damaged. This leads to a frequent supply of contaminated water.
Despite residents often raising their voices about these issues, no permanent resolution has been found.
Issues In Group Housing Societies
The crisis also affects over the 100 group housing societies in Indirapuram, where even people living in flats worth crores do not receive clean water. Water testing is often described as just a formality.
A significant incident occurred on May 3, 2024, when around 500 people fell ill in Saaya Gold Society. There have been many such cases before this.
Health Department Findings
Health Department officials report that about 1,400 water samples have been taken in the district so far this year, with about 200 of those samples coming from Indirapuram. Of the Indirapuram samples, 20 to 25 per cent have failed. Officials state that notices have been sent to all concerned parties and the water supply system has been rectified.
Recommended Solutions
To provide relief to the people of Indirapuram, the following steps are needed:
- The quantity of Ganga water supplied must be increased.
- Old pipelines should be replaced.
- The water supplied by the Water Works Department should be regularly tested.
- Rules For Water Supply In Societies
Existing rules for housing societies include:
- Cleaning of overhead tanks every six months.
- The chlorine dosing system must be operational.
- Lids of overhead tanks should not be left open.
- A water treatment system should be installed.
- A water softener should be installed to reduce TDS.
- Water should be tested from time to time.
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Resident And Official Statements
Mahesh Negi, resident, Indirapuram said,"The biggest problem in the area is water. Contaminated water is supplied frequently. We complain for a permanent solution, but nothing is resolved."
Brajesh Upadhyay, resident, Indirapuram said,"The TDS of the water is very high. The reason for this is the low quantity of Ganga water and the very high quantity of groundwater. The amount of Ganga water should be increased."
KP Anand, General Manager, Water Works Department, Municipal Corporation said,"For Indirapuram and other areas, water is supplied by mixing groundwater with the available Ganga water. In areas where there is a problem of contaminated water, a solution is provided."
RK Gupta, District Surveillance Officer, Health Department said,"Water samples are also taken based on surprise inspections and complaints. The effort is to take water samples from the tanks of every society and the Municipal Corporation's tanks at least every three months."