Leaking overhead tanks causing problems for Samridhi Apartments residents

Dwarka: Nirmala Gopi, a resident of Samridhi Apartments, Sector 18B, 10th floor of E1A tower, is having persistent breathing issues in her house. The reason she mentions: seepage from overhead water tanks.

As per Nirmala, her breathing issues emanate from continuous dampness in the rooms caused by seepage from leaked overhead tanks on the terrace above her flat. She has now been diagnosed with acute Asthma.

"Leakage of water from overhead tanks is a common issue here. DDA made those tanks and left them without proper maintenance resulting in leakage. Leaking has become a very serious issue here affecting the top floor residents the most. I have developed breathing problems living here because of seepage and dampness."

Residents of Samridhi apartments in Sector 18B have been facing several problems created by the seepage from the overhead water tanks in its towers for the last five years. According to residents, this has resulted in regular malfunctioning of lifts and even affected the basement of the society.

Moreover, Nirmala also informed that the water overflow seeps into the lifts making it inoperative. "Presently, the lift got operative after 20-25 days, causing problems for old and medically unfit residents. People in the block have suffered several times because of this," she says.

Showing us the condition of the two overhead tanks, Nirmala emphasised that one of the water tanks would have collapsed had it not been left unused. She explained how the condition got worse with time without the
maintenance of the tanks. "This tank has been inoperative for more than four years. It was on the verge of collapsing so supply to it was stopped." The particular tank is for fire fighting as she informed.

Area residents pointed out that RWA and residents have raised this issue several times with DDA in the last four-five years. As gathered by RWA, DDA engineers paid a visit to the society in August 2017 and assured them to resolve the issues. However, it has been five years and nothing has changed.

Like Nirmala, many other residents are facing similar problems caused by the overflow and leakage of the overhead tanks.

Treasurer of RWA, Shashi Vashisht, a resident at the tower E1A suffered a lot due to a non-functional lift recently. He says, “The lift remained inoperative for more than two weeks. Although it is working now, this is a perennial problem in almost all the 15 blocks of the society. Nearly five tanks are in such bad shape that they can collapse anytime. DDA must take the subject into notice immediately.”

RWA of the society informed that the seepage has reached the ground floor and even in the basement through pillars, causing damage to walls making the structure weak with time. President of the society, Gian Prakash Rathee says, “ There are 15 overhead tanks for domestic use and 15 such tanks for fire. In all the 30 tanks out of which none is in perfect shape. The situation is getting difficult as the maintenance is in the hands of DDA and they are not looking into the matter. We have written several letters to them and also given reminders but nothing happened. In February itself, we have given them two reminders and still, there is no response.”

CitySpidey visited the society and found that water was leaking from the overhead tanks. It was found that the water was also falling on the motor in the lift operating room due to which the lift had stopped working. RWA president took the CitySpidey to the basement to show how the water leakage was there causing seepage in the basement as well. He pointed out that water from the fire fighting system was leaking too. "The situation is alarming and we are in big trouble. The seepage has become a nuisance and it has reached the ground floor and even in basement parking as well. The walls and pillars are wet due to water and some of the cracks are also visible there. DDA does not seem serious about our problem while it is their duty to maintain our overhead tanks," says RWA president Gian Prakash Rathee.

Samridhi Apartments Sector 18B was allotted by DDA in the scheme of 2010 with the promises under its plan to maintain the society for next 30 years on many subjects of civil and electrical department given in the booklet of the scheme. As per RWA, DDA also took an amount of money for maintenance.  " We paid five lakh rupees from each flat for the maintenance of the society to DDA. But DDA has failed in keeping its maintenance up to the mark," says Rathee.