Homes worth crores, worms in water: Noida’s Supernova residents battle crisis

Two weeks ago, a 42-year-old assistant professor opened the kitchen tap and was alarmed to find yellowish-black and foul-smelling water, infested with worms. She soon found worms in the bathroom taps and flushes too. She had moved to Noida with her husband and 10-year-old son after spending her entire life in Delhi.

The family first rented a home in Supertech’s Supernova, in the Nova East and West block, for nearly two years before buying a 3 BHK flat worth a few crores. With more than 350 families in the project, located in Sector 94 along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, facing a worsening water problem, she said she regretted buying the flat she once considered her “dream home”.

“When we saw worms coming out of our kitchen tap, it was actually heartbreaking. Then it started coming in our toilet taps and flushes. No matter how many times we clear the washrooms, it doesn’t help,” she said. Residents said they have been forced to buy packaged water for drinking.

Naresh Nandwani, Advisor, Super Nova Apartment Owners’ Association (SNAOA), said, “We get 40 litres of water that lasts for five days and it costs Rs 240. I have to prioritise my family’s health.” But for the professor, who has bought a 20-litre can, this solves only one part of the problem.

“How can we bathe with packaged water?” she asked. As a temporary fix, the family bought a filter costing Rs 1 lakh two years ago but it needs to be replaced every two to two-and-a-half months. “When we take out the filter to replace it, we see how it’s turned red-black.

And it's expensive to keep doing so,” she said. The professor added that her 10-year-old son, who already has sensitive skin, has developed drier skin on his hands and legs. “I can even see pimples on his face… My sister-in-law is a dermatologist and when I took my son to her, the first thing she asked me was about the water we’re consuming,” she said.

She and her partner, both in their early 40s, are also experiencing hair loss. “We get throat infections very often…,” she added. The condition of the water has also made her reluctant to have guests over. “As a health freak, it is so embarrassing that I cannot keep my washroom clean.

The water is so bad that once you flush, you have to clean the commode seat again. If you don’t, it gets damaged easily,” she said. Nandwani said residents used to receive Ganga water, but the supply stopped more than two years ago.

“The builder of the project, which is currently undergoing insolvency, did not clear water dues of around Rs 42 lakh — it is now over Rs 72 lakh, including penalties. When we approached the (water) department, they asked us to pay the dues before resuming the Ganga water supply, he said.

“We are now dependent on borewell water, but the processing plant has a limited capacity to filter it, which is why we are not getting clean water,” he said. Mudit Kapur, General Secretary of the Apartment Owners’ Association, said his WhatsApp chats are filled with videos shared by families in the residents’ group, showing worms in the water and buckets filled with black water.

“It is a health hazard for young children and senior citizens, or for anyone, since water is a basic necessity,” said Kapur. “We get a lot of complaints, but resolution will take time. We’re in no position to supply clean water.” “At one time, this was the best project in Noida,” he added.

Recently, the association raised its concerns before the three-member committee appointed by the Supreme Court to oversee the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process (CIRP) of M/s Supertech Realtors Pvt Ltd, which had been caught in a series of litigations by homebuyers and others over its ambitious mixed-use project.