Gurugram: Faulty station, leaves Sec 21 without water for 5 days

Residents of Sector 21 have been facing severe water supply shortages for the past five days after a technical malfunction shut down the water booster station responsible for pumping water from Sector 22 to Sector 21. The station, which primarily operates at night to provide a steady flow of water, has yet to be repaired, leaving the community reliant on costly water tankers and facing significant distress, locals alleged. 

Prakash Lamba, president of the Sector 21 Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), pointed to long-standing infrastructure issues at the booster station as the underlying cause of the disruption. “The base of the booster is old, and the equipment used is outdated, which makes breakdowns frequent. It’s high time the administration ensures a standby pump so we do not face such prolonged outages in the future,” Lamba added. 

The RWA members have also raised concerns over the reliability and maintenance done by the station’s operators. Kundan Lal Sharma, another member, claimed that the situation could have been avoided with proper maintenance. “If we had a standby pump or backup system, this could have been avoided. We have families relying on this water supply, and it’s unfair that we are forced to spend on tankers,” Sharma added. 

Meanwhile, Sabiha Farhat, another member, said they have not received any timeline from the authorities regarding the station’s repairs. “It’s been five days, and there is no certainty about when the booster station will be operational again. Our daily routines are disrupted, and the administration needs to step up to resolve this issue swiftly,” Farhat added. 

In response to the residents’ appeals, Ashok Kumar Garg, commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), acknowledged the technical difficulties but assured the community that efforts are underway to resolve the issue. “We are aware of the inconvenience caused to residents in Sector 21 due to the booster station malfunction. Our teams are working to address the foundational problems, and we are considering installing a standby pump to prevent such incidents in the future. I assure residents that the administration is committed to providing an uninterrupted water supply,” said Garg. However, MCG officials did not provide a timeline on when the booster station is expected to be functional again.