Noida residents stage a protest PC: (special arrangements)
For the past five months, residents of Jaypee Aman Society in Noida’s Sector 151 have been enduring an acute water crisis that has disrupted daily life and compelled them to stage protests.
According to residents, the problem stems from the maintenance company Suraksha Group, which took over Jaypee Infratech Limited. They allege Suraksha has delayed replacing faulty water control mechanisms, causing large-scale wastage of water supplied by the Noida Authority across the society’s 26 towers.
Despite paying regular maintenance fees and repeatedly approaching different authorities, residents told The Daily Guardian their pleas have been ignored, leaving them with no option but to protest for what they describe as their basic rights.
On Sunday, the society went completely dry, prompting a peaceful protest at Aman’s FMG office the following day against Suraksha, which operates out of Sector 128, Noida.
Hundreds gathered at the FMG office seeking redress. One resident, Mudita, said the crisis escalated to the point where police had to intervene on Monday. “We have been facing this issue for a long time. Every time, FMG officials and Suraksha Group just make promises and send us away. Apart from water, they aren’t even repairing or painting the towers despite charging over ₹4,000 per flat as monthly maintenance. We urge the Noida Authority to step in,” she said.
Another resident, Jayant Jha, added: “This is not a sudden problem but a long-standing one. For several months, we’ve been battling this crisis. We approached multiple authorities for help, yet no one has acted, nor has Suraksha taken concrete steps.”
A third resident, who did not wish to be named, said the issues extend beyond water. “Security inside the campus has become a joke. FMG is not enforcing basic rules, when some residents create a public ruckus, nothing is done. No fines, no warnings. We are the ones who have to call the police repeatedly just to restore order. On top of that, commercial offices are openly running from the campus despite strict Noida Authority rules against it, and FMG still does nothing. It feels like the builder has washed its hands of responsibility.”
Responsibility for upkeep of Jaypee Aman and other Jaypee-developed projects currently lies with Suraksha. The company assumed control of Jaypee Infratech Limited’s (JIL) projects in May 2024, after JIL’s maintenance subsidiary ceased operations in January 2025. Since then, residents allege, services have been erratic, leaving them vulnerable during shortages such as the ongoing water crisis.
When approached for comment, Suraksha’s CEO, Abhijit Gohil, admitted his company was facing difficulties in resolving issues related to Jaypee Aman. “The water shortage is not a long-term issue, it is a recent one. I was apprised of it just recently and we resolved it in a day’s time. As far as maintenance is concerned, I’ve been receiving complaints for over a year, but I have not been able to act on them because the residents have not formed an association. From a company’s perspective, I don’t know whom to engage with. Moreover, two or three political leaders are active in the locality. I have realised that the residents are divided into groups, constantly fighting among themselves instead of forming one association. With multiple factions competing, what can the builder really do?”
Gohil said the lack of a formal residents’ body was preventing effective dialogue. “To be honest, I don’t have a straightforward solution. The first step is for residents to form an association so that the builder has a formal body to negotiate with. Our services are not inadequate, whenever an issue arises, it is repaired in due course. Beyond that, residents have some long-standing demands. Many of them argue that since the building has now been in existence for ten years, it should be maintained like a newly built complex. We can certainly provide assistance in that regard. But the reality is, residents themselves have been submitting complaints and photographs to the authorities in different offices. We have also met with the authorities and explained the situation, and even they admit, what exactly can a builder do in the case of a decade-old society?”
Meanwhile, residents insist their demands are neither new nor excessive. They warned that protests may escalate if a permanent solution is not put in place soon.
