Water found unfit in Gurugram’s upscale society where over 100 fell ill

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, May 30

Two days after around 100 residents fell ill at the Westend Heights Condominium, DLF phase 5, Gurugram, health department has declared the water being supplied in society unfit for consumption.

The water quality report of the inlet and outlet samples collected by health department released today clearly highlighted that water is unfit. The report has, however, not clarified any specific pollutant or contamination.

“The water is unfit and we have forwarded the report to officials concerned. We cannot comment any further on the level, source or kind of contamination,” said CMO Dr Virender Yadav.

Meanwhile, Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority, which is the primary water supplier to the society, has denied any responsibility and held the society accountable for poor water quality. It has raised the suspicion of society mixing their regular supply with water from some other source.

The authority has also issued directions of maintaining water hygiene to all societies after this incident. It has directed all local authorities, real estate developers and RWAs to carry out disinfection or chlorination before supplying stored water.

“We have found that the TDS value of the water supplied internally by the society is higher than the TDS value of GMDA water, which indicates the mixing of water from other source. The survey on the master water supply lines of GMDA leading towards the area concerned has also been completed but no source of any contamination has been found. Perhaps contamination can take place in the underground or overhead storage tanks of the society or due to the mixing of borewell water installed in the society premises. Additionally, lack of any kind of disinfection to the stored water before supplying the same to the residents can also be a cause,” read an official statement issued by GMDA.

The authority also said that they had been closely monitoring the issue of water contamination which was reported from DLF Westend society.

A senior health department official, on condition of anonymity, said it was not just high TDS which caused mass infection, but it was a bacterial infection. Two days ago residents of Westend Heights, DLF phase 5, Gurugram, started falling ill together. Around 100 residents complained of diarrohea and a child was hospitalised. This rang the alarm bells and the civic authorities conducted water sampling and examination.