The shutdown of Upper Ganga Canal for a month for annual maintenance from October 8 has led Noida Authority to appeal to residents to avoid wastage of water. The residents have also been asked to brace for low pressure supply during this period. The appeal came yesterday, and the authority has advised residents to refrain from activities such as washing of cars, or the stretch in front of their homes and also avoid watering plants every day. The authority will be supplying water from their tubewells in the respective sectors. But will that be enough to meet the city’s water demand of 250 million litres per day? According to an project engineer (PE), Noida authority, “There’s no reason to panic, as we have more than 300 tubewells and nine 15 Ranney wells.”

The Run for Unity was flagged off today, observed as National Unity Day or Rashtriya Ekta Diwas, from Noida Stadium in Sector 21A. It saw residents participating from both Noida and Greater Noida in great numbers. This day (October 31st) also coincides with the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and this year is his 143rd birth anniversary. Nearly 2,000 people took part in the marathon, including schoolchildren, former servicemen and many senior citizens. Before the race was flagged off, Mahesh Sharma took a pledge along with the participants to follow the path laid out by Sardar Patel and to maintain the unity of the nation. Local MP Mahesh Sharma and Noida MLA Pankaj Singh, chief guests for the marathon, also took part in the run. Speaking to City Spidey, Pankaj Tripathi