Greater Noida: Ecovillage 1 residents fall ill from suspected water contamination

Health department has set up medical camp within the society to test and treat residents. Simultaneously, the maintenance team of the housing society has started cleaning water tanks in towers to address potential contamination

After several residents of Supertech Ecovillage 1 in Greater Noida West fell ill over the past few days owing to a suspected water borne contamination, health department swung into action and set up medical camp within the society to test and treat residents, officials informed on Thursday.

Since Wednesday, around 110 residents have undergone checkups at the health camps after they complained of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. (HT Photo)

Simultaneously, the maintenance team of the housing society has started cleaning water tanks in towers to address potential contamination. Since Wednesday, around 110 residents have undergone checkups at the health camps after they complained of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea earlier this week.

Minor symptoms of stomach infection have been discovered in a few residents who are being administered treatment, said health department officials.

The issue first gained attention when residents started discussing their symptoms in society WhatsApp groups, with multiple families reporting similar health issues, all linked to water consumption.

In response, the Gautam Budh Nagar health department swiftly deployed medical teams at the society on Wednesday. A health camp was set up, and a 24/7 ambulance service was made available for emergencies.

“We took immediate action upon receiving reports of illness. Medical camp has been set up at the society and we are closely monitoring the affected residents. Those affected are being administered treatment,” said Dr Sunil Sharma, chief medical officer.

As of February 6, around 110 residents underwent health checkups with most found to be stable and only a few showing mild symptoms of diarrhoea and dehydration, informed officials.

The society’s maintenance team has begun cleaning water tanks in all towers to prevent further spread of infection. “Cleaning work has started in 17 towers. Around 10 towers were cleaned on Wednesday and seven more on Thursday. We will ensure that all tanks are thoroughly cleaned,” said Manu Tyagi, from the maintenance team of Supertech Ecovillage 1.

The Greater Noida authority officials said a report of water samples collected from the society is currently awaited. “Water samples from multiple sources have been collected and sent for lab testing. Further action will be taken based on the results,” said Sunil Kumar, a senior official of Greater Noida authority.

Vijay Chauhan, association representative of the society, said the issue first emerged in towers F3 and F7, where approximately 20 residents reported stomach-related illnesses. “The cases increased, raising the alarm among residents. We have repeatedly voiced concerns about the inadequate maintenance of water tanks in the past but to no avail,” he said.

Notably, there are 50 towers and around 20,000 people residing at Supertech Ecovillage 1.

The incident is reminiscent of a similar crisis in September last year when over 800 residents of Ecovillage 2 suffered illnesses due to water contamination. Lab tests at the time confirmed the presence of e.coli bacteria in the water supply.