Ghaziabad: Road and drainage work under CM-GRID projects has damaged water pipelines at multiple locations, disrupting supplies to Shakti Khand, Rajendra Nagar, Indirapuram and other trans-Hindon areas. Residents claimed nearly 20,000 people have been affected by repeated pipeline damage, with many left to rely on bottled water and tankers to meet their daily needs.According to residents, many households are spending between Rs 100 and Rs 150 a day on bottled or tanker water. The disruption has also led to increased demand for bottled water in Indirapuram.In Shakti Khand, residents said several pipelines were damaged when the roads were being dug, and the problem has occurred repeatedly as construction progresses. Krishna Kumar, who lives in builder flats in the area, said his locality went without water supply for two days last week.“There was no water for two days last week. Later, through the RWA, we got to know that the pipeline had been damaged. For those days, we got bottled water at least for drinking. We usually get the Ganga water supply in our buildings. It was later fixed after the RWA wrote to the concerned authorities,” he said.The issue is particularly difficult for families that depend entirely on the municipal water network, residents said. Even short interruptions force them to buy water for drinking, cooking and other household requirements, they added.Saurabh Das, a resident of builder flats in Vaishali, said the problem did not seem to affect the highrises in the city. “The highrises in our area have their own supply inside the societies, but we are dependent on the supply water. If the pipeline is damaged anywhere, the water supply is affected. Now when it is raining, we do not know if the water is contaminated,” Das said.Disruptions to the supply are likely to continue as CM-GRID work is expected to take several more months. GMC could not be reached for comment on the issue.When TOI previously reported on CM-GRID work in the area, an official said the project would be completed by June 2027. “Residents said they fear further pipeline damage and water-supply disruptions if excavation continues without adequate safeguards,” the official said at the time.Residents said that while they support road and drainage improvements, infrastructure work should not come at the cost of basic water supply. They demanded that construction agencies coordinate with the water department, protect existing pipelines and ensure immediate repairs whenever a line is damaged.
