From the outside, Achievers Society at Sector 49, Kalindi Hill in Faridabad, mirrors the aspirational urban dream of the National Capital Region — wide cemented roads, underground electrical cabling, manicured parks and nearly 300 villas and low-rise floors, many now valued at Rs 2 crore to Rs 4 crore.
But behind the green façade, nearly 500 families have been struggling for something basic – a regular supply of water since 2005, when residents first started moving in.
The colony, developed under the Town Planning Scheme from 2004, has never had a municipal water network, residents say, and after its borewells gradually ran dry, families were left dependent on private water tankers.
Before approaching the HHRC, residents had submitted a representation to Badkhal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha on June 29 and then approached the Chairperson of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee on July 13.
On August 18, residents approached the Haryana Human Rights Commission (HHRC), saying they had been forced to buy water for more than two decades.
The HHRC on August 27 directed the Municipal Corporation of Faridabad (MCF) and the Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA) to ensure uninterrupted water supply through government tankers, free of cost, to the colony, until a permanent arrangement is made.
‘90-100 tankers enter in peak summer’
For the residents, the shortage is not a recent problem.
The society’s borewells had collapsed years ago, they said. While the developer initially bore the cost of water tankers and charged nominal maintenance, since 2022, the financial burden has fallen squarely on homeowners.
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“During peak summer, around 90 to 100 tankers enter the society daily,” said Arun Agarwal (53), an IT professional working in Gurgaon and former treasurer of the Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA).
Agarwal booked his 153-square-yard house in 2005 for Rs 26 lakh and moved in by 2008. “It costs Rs 800 just to fill an overhead tank. Over the years, at least 20 families have sold their homes and moved out.”
For Surendra Kaul (72), a former Director General of the Centre for Cultural Resources and Training under the Union Ministry of Culture and former RWA president, the shortage has become part of daily life.
He had moved into an independent house of 239 sq yards in 2010, after buying it for Rs 75 lakh.
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Kaul said the groundwater being extracted is muddy and has TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) levels of around 2,000. The normal range is between 50 and 300 ppm (parts per million).
“At present, around 500 litres of water is made available for about 40 minutes a day, with households paying around Rs 700 for a tanker every 15 to 20 days,” he added.
“The society is otherwise good, there are underground cables, cemented roads, beautiful landscaping, and a number of parks. But my son wants us to consider moving out because of the water issue,” Kaul said.
Before approaching the HHRC, residents had submitted a representation to Badkhal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha on June 29 and then approached the Chairperson of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee on July 13.
Section 267 and the delay
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In its order, the HHRC referred to Section 267 of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Act, 1994, which requires civic bodies to provide internal services, including an “adequate and wholesome water supply”, within five years of a scheme being sanctioned.
Terming the dependence on private tankers for over 20 years “a grave issue”, the commission instructed the MCF Commissioner and the FMDA Chief Executive Officer to file status reports detailing the water quality, the reasons behind the two-decade lapse, and a time-bound roadmap for permanent infrastructure ahead of the next hearing on November 12.
Referring to Right to Life under Article 21 of the Constitution, HHRC Chairman Justice Lalit Batra said the prolonged lack of safe and adequate drinking water raised a serious human rights and constitutional concern.
Assistant Registrar Dr Puneet Arora said the Commission had directed that free and uninterrupted tanker supply be provided until a permanent solution was put in place. He added that authorities must address the matter keeping in view the right to safe drinking water as an essential component of the rights to life, health, sanitation and human dignity.
Shortage in whole area, says builder
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When contacted, a representative of the builder, Achievers Builders Private Limited, denied allegations of intentional neglect, alleging that the entire area was facing a water shortage. “The water drying up was natural, and there is a shortage in the whole area,” the representative said.
Maintaining that nearby colonies, including Sainik Colony, faced similar problems, the representative added, “Government supply is short in the whole area like Sainik Colony too, but the government is putting boosters. It is working speedily, and we have implemented court directions too, we have complied.”
The representative, meanwhile, alleged that residents are making such allegations as RWA elections are coming up.
Kaul refuted the charges. “The polls are far away. This is the builder running away. Similar responses come whenever we move authorities for action. I and Agarwal would not contest the next RWA elections to avoid internal politics,” he said.
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The Indian Express has reached out to the FMDA for a response.
Before approaching the HHRC, residents had submitted a representation to Badkhal MLA Dhanesh Adlakha on June 29 and then approached the Chairperson of the District Public Relations and Grievance Redressal Committee on July 13.