Illegal construction resumes near Hindon amid flood threat in the region

As water levels diminished after weeks of high water, residents resumed their daily routines, disregarding official warnings

htreporters@hindustantimes.com

According to the reports from the Irrigation Department, the Hindon river’s water level at the Ghaziabad barrage on Wednesday was 198.95 metres , well below its danger level of 205.08 metres (HT Photo)

Illegal construction activities have resumed in villages and neighbourhoods near the receding Hindon river, despite a recent advisory from the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration about potential floods in the Yamuna and Hindon rivers.

As water levels diminished after weeks of high water, residents resumed their daily routines, disregarding official warnings.

Although the floodplains’ inhabitants were urged to evacuate due to damaged homes caused by recent floods, many are unwilling to leave and are instead fortifying their residences. Using debris from the floods, residents in areas such as Chotpur, Haivatpur, Suthiyana, Kulesara, and Chhajarsi have begun repairing their houses.

“We are struggling to feed our families and provide them shelter. We build the place for us and have been living here for years. Going elsewhere and starting from scratch is not possible for us”, said Hemant Singh, a daily wager who lives in Chhajarsi.

The allure of returning to their established homes is strong for these families, despite the ongoing threat of monsoons and heavy rainfall in the Delhi-NCR region and beyond. Babu Lal, who, along with his neighbours, reinforced his damaged dwelling with debris, expressed fear about the potential recurrence of flood-related issues. “We are scared of what will happen if a similar flood situation arises again,” he said.

Alongside, locals are disappointed by the lack of official visits or inspections in the affected areas, even though water levels have subsided for about a week. The absence of assistance compounds their misery, as significant crop losses have been sustained, amounting to losses in the lakhs.

“We have suffered massive losses since our crops worth lakhs have been destroyed post floods. We were expecting compensation, but the officials have not turned up”, said Devi Ram, a resident of Suthiyana.

According to the reports from the Irrigation Department, the Hindon river’s water level at the Ghaziabad barrage on Wednesday was 198.95 metres , well below its danger level of 205.08 metres. Similarly, the Yamuna river at the Okhla barrage registered 197.75 metres, compared to its danger level of 200.60 metres.

Meanwhile, additional district magistrate (Finance) Atul Kumar, said, “Any action pertaining to illegal activity in the floodplains has to be taken up by Noida Authority. We have been issuing guidelines and alerting people against the possible flooding.”

Irrigation department, executive Engineer, BK Singh said, “Report will be prepared regarding the illegal activities taking place in the region and the same will be handed-over to Noida Authority for action”.

However, the Gautam Budh Nagar district administration’s efforts to rescue and provide relief were vital after extensive flooding in the Delhi-NCR region and neighbouring states. A significant evacuation operation took place in July, relocating residents from various villages to safety and safeguarding animals. The administration recently released another advisory, alerting citizens to the possibility of further floods in the Hindon and Yamuna rivers due to heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.