More than 300 residents fall sick in Noida society

NOIDA: More than 300 residents, mostly children and women, of a Noida Extension group housing society fell ill with an infection caused by suspected water contamination, officials said on Tuesday.

Alarmed by the complaints of diarrhoea, vomiting, fever and stomach ache en masse, the local health department team swung into action and set up a temporary camp at the society for check-up and

treatment.

The local Greater Noida Authority also checked the water supply in the society in which it found no fault but took samples of water for test as a precautionary measure, according to an official statement.

Raj Kumar, a media professional and resident of Supertech Ecovillage 2, said the issue came to light when residents were discussing water shortage on a WhatsApp group on Monday evening.

“One resident mentioned that his child had diarrhoea and vomiting. Soon after, another resident reported the same symptoms in their child, and more people began sharing similar experiences. It quickly became evident that hundreds of residents had fallen

ill,” Kumar said.

Ashish Srivastava suggested that water contamination might be the cause of the illnesses, as the society’s water tanks were recently cleaned.

He noted, “Water is the common factor in all households,” and a local doctor confirmed infections among the affected residents.

While society members claim over 100 individuals are ill, the exact figure and cause are yet to be determined. GB Nagar CMO reported that 339 patients were tested, with nine having fever and 330 suffering from stomach ache, vomiting, and diarrhea. Inspections revealed water stagnation with larvae in the basement, leading to a challan being issued.

The Greater Noida Authority’s initial probe found no fault in the supply water, but further tests are ongoing.