Residents’ group urges authority to to install barriers at bridge over Hindon

Greater Noida residents have asked the authority to install barriers to prevent dumping of waste into the Hindon river.

Greater Noida residents have asked the authority to install barriers to prevent dumping of waste into the Hindon river.

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“A new bridge that connects Noida and Greater Noida over river Hindon has no barriers. We urge the authority to at least install the grills or a barrier, just like on the Yamuna Bridge so that illegal dumping of the garbage and construction waste would stop,” said a letter by city-based social group Progressive Community Foundation.

They also urged the authority to clean the river.

“Hindon doesn’t look like a river at all. It is a stinking untreated drain. If the authority cannot treat the river, the least that could be done is stop further damage,” said Amit Gupta, resident of sector-77 and member of the social group.

Officials at Greater Noida authority have said that they have written to the bridge corporation.

“The demand by the group is valid. We have asked the bridge corporation whether they have a proposal to build or install barriers. If not, then the authority will install one,” said Kaluram Verma, senior manager, Greater Noida authority.

The Hindon originates from Saharanpur and reaches Gautam Budh Nagar (Greater Noida) after passing through Meerut, Shamli, Mussafarnagar, and Ghaziabad. It merges with the Yamuna at Momnathal in Tilwada village of Greater Noida. Throughout its 50 km of length through the district, the river is fed untreated effluent and non-degradable waste from industries and illegal colonies thereby worsening the situation and suffer a constant absence of the Dissolved Oxygen (DO) making it a virtually dead river. According to the UPPCB assessments, the Hindon at its entry point Chhijarsi was consistently zero throughout the year 2019 and 2020 till October, against a minimum requirement of 5 mg/ltrs.