Noida authority sanctions ₹6.5 crore to clean up polluted Kondli drain

The Noida authority has sanctioned ₹6.5 crore for a project that aims to clean up the city’s main drain, Kondli drain, which passes through some of the major residential

The Noida authority has sanctioned ₹6.5 crore for a project that aims to clean up the city’s main drain, Kondli drain, which passes through some of the major residential areas in the city and has become a source of nuisance for the city’s residents, who have often complained of the foul smell that the drain emits.

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The 17-kilometre-long irrigation drain starts from Delhi’s Ashok Nagar area and merges with Yamuna in Sector 168, after passing through several residential sectors of the city, such as sectors 11, 12, 22, 24, 23, 34, 35, 50, 51, 80, 137 and 168, among others.

Several smaller drains merge with this drain that carry sewage water of both Delhi and Noida. Slum residents and streetside vendors often throw plastic and other kinds of waste materials into this drain leading to choking and waterlogging during the monsoon season.Apart from Kondli drain, there are other at least 300 smaller drains in the city that are equally polluted and are filled with overflowing sewage water and plastic waste.

The Kondli drain, owned by the Uttar Pradesh irrigation department, will be cleaned together by the Noida authority the irrigation department.“The irrigation department has prepared a plan and sent the same to us. We are looking into this plan so that we can implement it. We will fund this project, although it will be executed by the irrigation department,” said Avinash Tripathi officer on special duty, Noida authority.

As per the plan, the irrigation department will also create ponds at multiple locations of the drain.“The main objective is to improve the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of this drain, which is meant to carry only rain water. To improve the BOD, there is a plan to build ponds with plants that help in absorbing the pollutants,” said Tripathi.

The UP irrigation department also said that ponds that will be built at 50 different locations and will be filled with plants that can absorb pollutants.

“We have sent the proposal to the Noida authority. Once approved, the project will be implemented on the ground,” said Davendra Thakur executive engineer, Noida authority.

The authority has also decided to put bamboo nets at multiple points of the smaller drains.“We have taken a decision to put bamboo nets, which are at least one-metre wide, to trap the waste materials. This would ensure that the drains only carry clean water,” said Tripathi.

Noida residents have for frequently complained about the state of this drain. “The drain emits such a foul smell that we have to keep our windows shut all the time. We have written several letters to the Noida authority to address this issue. But nothing has happened so far. We now hope that the authority will do something to address this issue,” said Arun Kumar, a resident of Sector 34.