Rain cripples roads in Noida

Heavy rainfall that started around 8

Heavy rainfall that started around 8.30amand continued till 5pm on Tuesday led to widespread waterlogging across several sectors of Noida, with residents reporting inundated roads and flooded homes, prolonged power outages, sewage overflow and disruption to daily life.

In Sector 122, residents said waterlogging submerged several electrical panels, triggering power supply disruptions that lasted nearly four hours. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

According to the IMD, Gautam Budh Nagar received just 0.5mm of rainfall till 8.30am on Tuesday. By 5.30pm, however, the district had recorded 56mm of rain, classified as “heavy” by the IMD. The maximum temperature settled at 29.9°C, while the minimum was 26.6°C.

Noida authority officials said teams were deployed across the city to clear accumulated rainwater and address complaints.

In Sector 122, residents said waterlogging submerged several electrical panels, triggering power supply disruptions that lasted nearly four hours.

“This waterlogging submerged electrical panels, resulting in prolonged outages across the sector and causing immense hardship to residents. The supply resumed only after the water was pumped out,” Shivkumar Tiwari, president of the Sector 122 Residents’ Welfare Association (RWA), told HT.

Residents of Kartik Kunj Apartments in Sector 44 said rainwater entered all six lift wells, rendering the elevators inoperable for around seven hours, from 11am to about 6pm on Tuesday.

“Once water enters a lift well, it has to be pumped out before the lifts can be made operational, which takes several hours,” said Avadesh Singh, secretary of the Kartik Kunj RWA.

However, Noida authority officials said waterlogging inside private housing societies does not fall under its jurisdiction and maintained that there was no significant waterlogging on the roads surrounding Sector 44.

Residents of Arun Vihar (comprising sectors 28, 29 and 37), Sector 82 and Sector 19 also reported flooding inside homes after the downpour.

“For the first time, rainwater entered ground-floor flats across sectors 28, 29 and 37. We fear the drainage system in Noida has collapsed,” said col (retd) Prashant Gupta, chairman of the Arun Vihar residents’ welfare association.

In Sector 19, residents said rainwater accumulated on roads and entered several houses in B and C blocks.

“In Sector 19, particularly in B and C blocks, the drains are choked and there is no outlet for rainwater,” said RC Gupta, president of the Sector 19 RWA, adding that it took nearly two hours for the water to recede.

Noida water department officials acknowledged that heavy rainfall and rapid urbanisation have increased pressure on the city’s drainage infrastructure but said measures are being taken to improve the system.

“We are doing whatever is possible to clear the sewage. Noida’s growing population has put considerable strain on the drainage network. New tenders have been issued, and work under those projects will begin after August 15,” said Ashok Verma, senior manager, Noida water department.

Authority officials said teams had been deployed across affected locations and urged residents to report incidents of waterlogging.

“Residents can contact us regarding any waterlogging or drainage-related issue, and we try to resolve them within half an hour,” said Prem Sen, senior manager, Noida authority.

“Normally, rainwater drains out within about an hour, but after heavy rainfall it takes longer. Wherever sewage blockages occur, they are often linked to increased population density. We are working to resolve such issues. At present, there are no major problems in the planned sectors, while more challenges are being reported from the rural areas,” Sen said.