Ghaziabad: Khoda residents have started an indefinite protest to press for their long-standing demand for Ganga water. Ghaziabad MP VK Singh recently started a tanker service to supply Ganga water to Khoda, but it was only a stopgap arrangement. So far, a plan to set up a 38km dedicated pipeline to Khoda from Hapurs Dehrajhal along the Upper Ganga Canal has failed to materialise.The shortage of potable water in Khoda is an old issue.Year after year, elected representatives have promised a permanent solution, but nothing has happened so far. In the absence of a proper water supply system and the groundwater table dipping alarmingly, there is an acute water crisis in the area, said Deepak Joshi, a protesting resident.Recently, the situation has turned worse as tankers have stopped supplying Ganga water due to the annual de-siltation exercise of the Upper Ganga Canal. We have been protesting for at least two weeks now, but no one in the administration has bothered to listen to us, added Joshi.Officials said they are in the process of addressing the issue. Seventy water tankers with capacities of 3,000-litre and 5,000-litre supply Ganga water to the area daily, said Unmesh Shukla, an official from UP Jal Nigam. But for the past one month, the Ganga water supply not only in Khoda but in Noida, Indirapuram and elsewhere has been suspended, which has worsened the situation. The supply will resume by November 21, added Shukla.UP Jal Nigam initially planned to supply Ganga water to Khoda via a 100-cusec water treatment plant. The Ganga water allocation has already taken place, and the plan stands abandoned now. After that, UP Jal Nigam suggested the 38.5km water pipeline. For that, we required seven hectares of land either in Hapur or Khoda to construct a reservoir. The plan is still in the works at the highest levels of the government, but it will take time, said Shukla.With the general elections next year, the issue has turned political, and the ruling dispensation cannot afford to overlook the 1.84 lakh Khoda voters who vote en-bloc. Sahibabad MLA Sunila Sharma said, The integration of Khoda-Makanpur Nagar Palika into GMC is in motion. Once done, it will solvethe potable water issue once and for all.We also published the following articles recentlyCanal breach fixed, but city faces water shortageParts of Gurgaon are experiencing a water crisis after a breach was detected in the Gurgaon Water Supply canal. The breach has resulted in a 20% shortfall in raw water supply, leading to rationing of water. The GMDA has diverted treated water from another plant to ensure maximum water supply to the affected areas. However, residents have complained of inadequate water supply for the past three days and are planning a mass protest. GMDA officials hope to normalize the supply by Saturday.Chennai rain: Mayor inspects water flow in storm water drainsChennai Mayor R Priya inspected storm water drains, canals, and rivers in the city as it rained. She visited various locations to monitor desilting work, water pumping, and water stagnation in subways. The city recorded rainfall of 18.03mm from Monday evening to Tuesday morning, with Sholinganallur and Meenambakkam receiving the highest rainfall of over 35mm.Actor Ganga passes away suddenly due to heart attackTamil cinema actor Ganga, known for his roles as both a hero and character actor, has passed away at the age of 63 due to a sudden heart attack. Ganga made his acting debut in the film "Uyirullavarai Usha" and went on to appear in movies such as "Karaiyai Thodatha Alaigal" and "Meendum Savithiri". He was unmarried and lived with his brothers family. Gangas funeral will be held in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu. He was known for his realistic performances and also appeared in TV serials.

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