Noida authority finds it tough to clear stormwater drains

The authority has shut sewage treatment plants in sectors 136, 168 and 54 because the waste water pumping machines are unable to empty the treated water into the Yamuna

With Yamuna water continuing to remain perilously high, the Noida authority is finding it difficult to clear water from stormwater drains owing to backflow, which is flooding several localities in the city.

Water filled in the underpass due to Kundli drain overflow in Noida Greater Noida Expressway in Sector 128, in Noida. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

Areas such as sectors 91, 135, 136, 137 and 138, among others, is troubled by the backflow and the Noida authority is unable to keep drains flowing into the Yamuna. The green belt along Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and some roads are water-logged as water from drains is overflowing on to roads.

The authority has shut sewage treatment plants in sectors 136, 168 and 54 because the waste water pumping machines are unable to empty the treated water into the Yamuna.

“The green belt and other low lying areas are full of wastewater and the authority says it is helpless to do anything. Despite repeated complaints from residents, the authority has not been able to find a solution to the problem since the past two days. The authority does not maintain the sewage pumping machines in proper order. As a result, the pumping machines in Sector 136 is not working, which could have helped in pumping the water into the Yamuna,” said Umesh Kumar, a resident of Sector 168.

The authority traps the sewage from all residential, industrial and other areas at its six sewage treatment plants, where the sewage gets treated and dumped back into the drains, which carry the treated waste water into the main Kondli drain that empties into the Yamuna in Sector 168.

“But now as the Yamuna waters continue to remain above danger level, the Kondli drain is unable to empty its waters into the river. We have shut our STPs because we no more can empty the treated waste into Kondli drain. We are taking all required steps to address the issue. Once the water level in Yamuna recedes a bit, the problem will be addressed,” said RP Singh, deputy general manager, Noida authority, who also heads the water department.

The authority treats at least 230MLD (million litres per day) of waste water at its six STPs. But with the STPs shut since the past two days, the untreated sewage is spilling over to localities.

“If the water level in the Yamuna continue to be in the danger zone, then how will the authority address the sewage issue? Unless immediate steps are taken, residents will have a civic mess on their hands,” said NP Singh, president of Gautam Budh Nagar district development residents’ welfare association, an umbrella body of residents’ associations.

Noida authority chief executive officer Ritu Maheshwari and district magisrtate Manish Kumar Verma along with other officials on Friday inspected Sector 136 area and directed officials to take measures to make sure that the treated sewage is dealt with properly.