Heavy rain triggers waterlogging, traffic congestion in Greater Noida

Commuters were forced to navigate through knee-deep water, and congestion was reported as several bikers halted in the middle of the road to avoid waterlogged areas

Heavy rain triggered waterlogging and traffic congestion in various parts of Greater Noida on Friday afternoon.

Due to frequent traffic congestion caused by waterlogging, the Noida traffic police have also identified 16 waterlogging hot spots in Noida and Greater Noida. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photos)

Waterlogging was reported from low-lying areas such as Expo Mart underpass, Kulesra, Tilapta Haldoni T-Point, Sutiyana T-Point, Kachchi Road, Lal Kuan Flyover, and the road from Lal Kuan towards Delhi.

Commuters were forced to navigate through knee-deep water, and congestion was reported as several bikers halted in the middle of the road to avoid waterlogged areas.

It was not just roads that were waterlogged, the area surrounding a government school in Tugalpur near Pari Chowk was also inundated following the rain. “We were alerting officials since the past few years to address the issue of waterlogging outside the school. Children and teachers are forced to wade through nullah water that collects in low-lying areas outside the school,” said Meghraj Bhati, a school teacher, adding that the situation has been the same for the past few years.

While heavy rain lashed Greater Noida, Noida saw mild rainfall on Friday, giving residents a much needed relief from the humid conditions.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday issued a yellow alert for the National Capital Region and predicted heavy rainfall in the region. The minimum temperature in Gautam Budh Nagar was recorded at 26.5 degrees Celsius while the maximum stood at 35 degrees Celsius on Friday. The IMD has predicted partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers till August 27 with minimum and maximum temperatures hovering around 26-27 and 36-37 degrees Celsius, respectively.

Due to frequent traffic congestion caused by waterlogging, the Noida traffic police have also identified 16 waterlogging hot spots in Noida and Greater Noida.

The traffic officers asked the Noida and Greater Noida authorities to address the issue of waterlogging, which persists after every rain. “We have asked the officials for temporary and long-term measures to tackle these waterlogging problems. Without addressing these problems, there is no other way to decongest traffic during rain,” said Yamuna Prasad, deputy commissioner of police, traffic.

Explaining why congestion was reported during rain, the DCP said, “There are multiple reasons for traffic congestion during rain. Due to waterlogging, people drive slowly as roads are not properly visible. Some bikers also take shelter under flyovers, which leave a narrow space for traffic. We have also noticed frequent vehicle breakdowns during rain, which adds to the chaos.”

“The authority has also identified waterlogging hot spots in Greater Noida. We have made a plan to make new drains and rectify the road structure to clear waterlogging from low-lying areas,” said Vinod Sharma, senior manager (sewers), Greater Noida authority.

“Sump wells were installed to clear water from low-lying areas. Apart from that, civil and sewage departments were also asked to work in collaboration to clear drains and structural changes,” said RP Singh, deputy general manager, water and sewer department.