Noida techie’s death: Flagged risks in area 2 weeks ago, say residents

Allegations reveal that the tragedy which claimed life of Yuvraj Mehta was potentially preventable.

Residents of Sector 150 alleged on Wednesday that they had written to the Noida Authorityin mid-January and earlier as well, flagging the dangerously waterlogged and unsecured plot where a 27-year-old software engineer drowned last Saturday, warning that a lack of basic safety measures had made the spot a death trap.

The plot where Mehta died lies directly opposite the main gate of the Tata Eureka society. Since the incident, posters demanding justice have appeared on the society’s gates. (HT Photo)

The allegations reveal that the tragedy which claimed the life of Yuvraj Mehta was potentially preventable, underscoring a pattern of civic neglect in an area that has been dubbed as one of Noida’s most premium residential zones.

According to residents, their warnings came after a truck on January 2 breached a low periphery wall at the same location, nearly plunging into the same water-filled excavation. In a letter to the Authority, they demanded a higher boundary wall, covering of an open drain, and draining of the stagnant water from the vacant commercial plot, which had lain unattended for five years.

“After the truck incident, we wrote to the Noida Authority demanding they cover the drain, build a boundary wall, and empty the water. It had become an eyesore and a hazard. The authority did not pay heed to our demands,” said Dinesh Gupta, president of Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India (CREDA), a developers’ group.

Sector 150, carved out over a decade ago as a hub for luxury group housing, hosts projects by major developers like Tata, Godrej, and Prestige. Apartments here sell for up to ₹25,000 per square foot, with homes costing upwards of ₹4-5 crore. Yet, residents describe a shocking disconnect between the premium interiors of their gated complexes and the hazardous public infrastructure outside.

“You live in a flat that you paid ₹4-5 crore to buy, but when you step out of your housing complex and face dug-up open spaces, worn-out cables, open stinking drains, no footpaths, zero public transport, and unsafe surroundings,” said Savita Goyal, a resident.

Krishan Kumar, who lives in the Tata Eureka society where Mehta resided, echoed the sentiment, citing jumbled cables and badly dug-up roadsides that make walking unsafe. “The footpath and drains along the road outside the society are in such a bad condition that it doesn’t feel safe to even come out for a walk because all you see are jumbled up cables and dug up roadsides,” he said.

The plot where Mehta died lies directly opposite the main gate of the Tata Eureka society. Since the incident, posters demanding justice have appeared on the society’s gates.

On Monday, the Uttar Pradesh government removed Noida Authority chief executive officer (CEO) Lokesh M from his post and constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the circumstances that led to Mehta’s death.

The SIT is tasked with determining whether the trench was part of an approved project, if mandatory safety measures were in place, and which agency was responsible for the site. Senior officials stated that initial inspections have already identified several projects with inadequate safety arrangements.

The authority, meanwhile, has initiated a sector-wide safety audit. “Teams have been instructed to identify unsafe locations and recommend preventive steps without delay. Wherever safety measures are missing, they are being flagged for immediate action,” said SP Singh, a general manager, Noida authority.

Similarly, the Greater Noida Authority has formed inspection teams to verify compliance with safety norms at construction sites, issuing notices to violators.

The Noida Authority’s additional CEO, now the senior-most officer following the CEO’s removal, did not respond to repeated calls for comment.