Techie’s death fallout: Unsafe construction sites under scanner in GB Nagar

A helpline WhatsApp number - 9205559204 – to report hazardous sites has been set up. Citizens can share photographs and location details of open pits, broken barricades or unsafe construction zones

Days after a 27-year-old Yuvraj Mehta drowned in a located in a waterlogged plot in Noida’s Sector 150 , the Gautam Budh Nagar administration has begun scrutinising safety conditions across the district, officials said on Thursday.

The administration has begun the process to identify locations that could pose safety issues, including unsafe construction zones, open basements, and accident-prone stretches, while also strengthening coordination with emergency response agencies. (Sunil Ghosh/HT Photo)

The administration has begun the process to identify locations that could pose safety issues, including unsafe construction zones, open basements, and accident-prone stretches, while also strengthening coordination with emergency response agencies. The focus, they said, is on preventing recurrence of such incidents in rapidly developing urban areas.

Gautam Budh Nagar additional district magistrate (finance and revenue) Atul Kumar told HT, “The Sector 150 incident is being investigated in detail by the special investigation team (SIT) following directions of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath. But, at the same time, necessary safety aspects are being reviewed to ensure that such incidents are not repeated.”

Permanent barricading, warning signage, reflective markers and improved lighting have also been installed at the Sector 150 accident site and nearby dangerous pits, they said.

District officials saidthat emphasis is particularly being laid on coordination with emergency response agencies, such as the state and national disaster response forces and the fire department, with a focus on improving response time and preparedness during emergencies.

According to investigators and eyewitness accounts, after Mehta’s car plunged into a deep, waterlogged excavation pit after he lost control of it in dense fog in the early hours of Saturday, he managed to climb onto the roof of his partially submerged car. While police, firefighters, and teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) from Ghaziabad and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) reached the site, rescue efforts failed to save him. For nearly 90 minutes, Mehta remained trapped, calling for help as his vehicle slowly sank. By the time he could be pulled out, he had died.

Meanwhile, the Greater Noida Authority on Wednesday concluded a three-day road safety drive across the cityamid heightened focus on safety.

During the campaign, 16 accident-prone locations were identified, largely along service roads and stretches near residential and industrial areas, where hazards such as open drains, roadside pits, missing reflectors and inadequate lighting were observed.

“The campaign was held to improve traffic movement and enhance safety. Teams from all eight work circles identified accident-prone and sensitive locations and carried out patch work, lane marking, installation of rumble strips, reflectors and lighting wherever required,” said AK Singh, general manager (projects), Greater Noida Authority.

“Work related to strengthening road safety measures will continue and black spots and vulnerable road stretches will continue to be monitored,” he added.

Officials said residents are also being encouraged to report accident-prone or unsafe locations to the authorities.

A helpline WhatsApp number - 9205559204 – to report hazardous sites has been set up. Citizens can share photographs and location details of open pits, broken barricades or unsafe construction zones.