Lotus Panache: Unpalatable water supplied to us, complain residents

Noida: A resident of Lotus Panache, Sector 62, Noida, Pushkar Raj Chandna, tweeted a picture where the Total Dissolved Solid level of water was over 2000. Residents said that the water is unfit to drink or even to take a bath. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 500 ppm is the maximum amount of TDS for drinking water. However, if the measurement is higher than 1000 ppm, then it is an unsafe level of TDS.

आज का TDS स्तर पानी के नल पर मापा है। मान + 2000ppm हैं, जो किसी भी राष्ट्रीय या अंतर्राष्ट्रीय मानकों के अनुसार अस्वीकार्य है। @CMOfficeUP कृo आपको हस्तक्षेप करना चाहिए ताकि उत्तर प्रदेश के लोगों के स्वास्थ्य से किसी भी स्तर पर समझौता न हो! @cleanganganmcg @OfficeOfGSS @PIBHindi pic.twitter.com/2uT4qNTjbf

— #ImplementUPAppttActInToto (@prchandna) November 7, 2021

Chandra, said, “We have been requesting Noida Jal to improve the quality and quantity of water being supplied to Lotus Panache Sector 110 or in fact, to the whole of Noida. Noida Jal supplies water through a pipeline size of 350mm for a duration of 1.5 to 2 hrs twice morning and evening, which is totally insufficient. However, Noida Jal arbitrarily charges us for a quantity of 2500kL daily and charges around Rs11 Lakhs pm total amounting Rs.1.3 Crores annually including cess, which is nothing but overcharging without measuring the quantity of water supplied. Noida Jal has not installed water meters for actual measurements of water supplied by them for the past 46 years”.

He also said, “Moreover, as per the law, Noida Jal should get the complete chemical analysis of water being supplied regularly by them and also through a third party inspection and these analyses should be shared publicly on their website. Noida Jal also doesn't have quick water analysis kits at their waterworks to physically check a few parameters, like TDS, pH, etc., and keep hourly, daily, weekly, monthly logs”.

“At random checking of Noida Jal water supplies, it has been observed that TDS levels are around plus 2000TDS on many occasions, which is  unacceptable as per the international and national standards. Beyond a  value of 500 TDS levels water is unacceptable”, he further added.

Dr. Pranab J Patar, another resident of the society said, “TDS in the Noida area is generally high and it's been so for many years, poor TDS level in groundwater in this region is an old problem. This is not specific to only one society- the problem is with the supply itself. As about our society, our internal water treatment plant is not working properly due to the shortage of funds, as this is an under-construction society, with more than 50% of the total project is yet to be completed, and now owing to the to misappropriation of funds by the builders and eventual non-delivery, the buyers here had been fighting a nasty battle at the National Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission against the builders. The fate of the society is now in the hands of NCLAT, which is hearing a case of insolvency/liquidation as the builders filed for bankruptcy. So to cut the long story short, we are navigating through a difficult time amid a severe fund crunch, the society is functioning in an ad hoc manner under the supervision of IRP (until the court case is resolved) at this moment in absence of an AoA or RWA. It may be noted, this is one of the larger societies in the region that's spread over an area over 40 acres of lands with an  impressively low FAR ratio leaving enough open spaces in between and was also registered with the Indian Green Building Council as one of the first green residential projects in Delhi NCR that offered a number of sustainable features. Plus Ganga canal that supplies water to Noida was shut for annual maintenance, which is done between Oct to Nov every year, so we hope, with the restoration of Ganga water, TDS will go down significantly”.