10 people rescued after car stalls in waterlogged Noida underpass

Police said blocked drainage caused the waterlogging, while the Noida Authority plans to install additional pumps to prevent a recurrence.

In an hour long operation, ten people, including four children, were rescued after the vehicle they were travelling in stalled inside a waterlogged Noida underpass on Monday.

The vehicle stalled in the Sector 96 underpass beneath the Mahamaya Flyover in Noida, on Monday. (Sunil Ghosh / HT Photo)

Police said they received a call around 5.30am about a multi-purpose vehicle (MPV), identified as a Renault Triber, that was partially submerged in an underpass in Sector 95.

The fire department and police personnel were deployed to the locations. Using a rope tied around the front of the vehicle, the personnel pulled the vehicle out.

Police said three men, three women and four children were inside the car.

How the vehicle got stuck

The family belongs to Bulandshahr and was returning from a visit to a temple in Gurugram for a religious ceremony. On their way back, they decided to stop at a petrol station and descended into the underpass, even though water had collected in it. “According to the driver, he did not anticipate that his car would get stuck in the underpass,” said a police officer.

It rained from about 2 to 6am in Noida, with the city receiving around 17.5mm of rain in 24 hours, according to data from the India Meteorological Department.

According to police, debris blocking the drainage in the underpass had caused the waterlogging. A similar situation had occurred around two months ago during rainfall, when water accumulated in the underpass. Authorities subsequently called in a team to clear the blockage, following which traffic movement was restored.

Prem Sain, senior engineer, tNoida Authority’s Jal department, said the construction of Jungle Trail had changed the area’s gradient, causing rainwater to accumulate in the subway beneath the Mahamaya Flyover.

“A pumping system was already operational to remove the water. The authority has also issued a notice to the park’s management and plans to install additional pumps to prevent recurring waterlogging,” he added.