Following reports of over 500 residents of Ajnara Homes in Greater Noida West Sector 16B falling sick over the past three to four days, allegedly after consuming contaminated drinking water supplied to flats, the Greater Noida authority on Wednesday imposed a penalty of ₹25 lakh on the builder for its alleged negligence in maintaining the water tanks and other related utilities, officials said.
According to a notice issued by the authority’s water department, the inspection carried out on April 7 revealed ”poor maintenance” of the underground and overhead water tanks at the society.
“It was prima facie found that the tanks had not been cleaned since a long time, leading to the presence of bacteria and contaminants in the water,” the notice stated.
While the authority confirmed that clean water was being supplied through its tubewell, the internal storage structures, maintained by the residential society, were found to be the source of contamination. The penalty has been imposed on grounds of public health negligence, with the society directed to deposit the amount with the authority soon, said officials.
Rajesh Kumar, senior manager, water department, Greater Noida, said, “Our team conducted a detailed inspection of the underground and overhead water tanks and found that the society had not carried out proper cleaning and maintenance of these structures for an extended period, leading to bacterial contamination.”
“The water supply through tubewells has been verified to be of acceptable quality in preliminary testing,” he said.
In addition to the penalty, the builder, Ajnara Homes (APV Realty Ltd., also owes over ₹2.53 crore in unpaid water charges to the authority. The notice has warned that a recovery certificate (RC) may be issued if dues are not cleared promptly.
Separately, the authority on Wednesday imposed an additional penalty of ₹2.01 lakh on Ajnara Homes for improper waste management after garbage piles and unprocessed sanitary waste were found in the society’s basement during an inspection. The authority has directed the amount to be deposited within three working days.
“Multiple reminders have already been issued. Continued non-payment will lead to legal recovery proceedings,” the notice stated.
The Greater Noida authority has also directed immediate cleaning and maintenance of all internal water tanks in accordance with prescribed health standards. Non-compliance will attract additional penalties and may result in suspension of services, officials warned.
The fallout of the contamination was visible on Wednesday, with over 100 more residents attending the medical camps set up within the society. The camps were launched earlier this week in response to a spike in waterborne ailments reported by residents.
Several families said they had suffered from vomiting, stomach pain, and diarrhoea over the past three to four days.
“I’m not aware of any unpaid water dues from our side,” said Hemant Rana, head of Ajnara Homes’ maintenance team. “As for the ₹25 lakh penalty, we haven’t yet received any formal communication. Once we do, we will review the matter and respond as per procedure.”
Meanwhile, the society’s management has begun cleaning underground fire and raw water tanks, and sent its own water samples for testing. Residents were advised via email to boil drinking water as a precaution and store sufficient supply during ongoing cleaning efforts.
“The Greater Noida authority has already visited the site and collected samples for lab testing. We’re taking all necessary steps to ensure water quality is restored, and further updates will be shared with residents,” the message read.