Road repair, construction in Noida disrupted since closure of hot mix plants

Several infrastructure projects and road repair work have been disrupted since the hot mix plants were shut following the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders on November 23, 2016. The 4.8km elevated road above Master Plan-2 Road, Sector 94 underpass, bridge widening work on irrigation drain and NTPC underpass, among other projects, may be delayed.

Several infrastructure projects and road repair work have been disrupted since the hot mix plants were shut following the National Green Tribunal (NGT) orders.

Roads that are in a non-motorable state are also yet to be repaired due to lack of construction material. (Virendra Singh Gosain/HT PHOTO)

NGT, on November 23, 2016, had ordered the Noida and Greater Noida authorities, Gautam Budh Nagar police and Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board to inspect construction sites and penalise those causing air pollution. Authorities had also shut down 21 hot mix plants following the NGT order, to contain air pollution.

These 21 plants were operational on the Yamuna floodplains behind sectors 126 and 127, located along the Noida expressway. Developers and contractors working for government projects — elevated road and underpasses — were using these hot mix plants to prepare concrete mixtures for construction.

Authority officials said that the 4.8km elevated road above Master Plan-2 Road, Sector 94 underpass, bridge widening work on irrigation drain and NTPC underpass, among other projects, may be delayed.

“We are facing a big problem as the hot mix plants are shut down. We have been receiving complaints from residents daily with regard to dug up and potholed roads. But we are unable to repair the roads or carry out routine work as we cannot prepare construction material due to the closure of the hot mix plants,” Saumya Srivastava, the deputy chief executive officer of the Noida authority, said.

The hot mix plants were being run on the Yamuna floodplains due to lack of a suitable place to set up these plants.

“NGT has appointed the district magistrate (DM) as the nodal officer for acting against polluters. Therefore, we have decided to take up the issue of hot mix plant with the DM, who holds a meeting every week on environmental issues. We hope to find a solution,” Srivastava said.