Roads riddled with craters: Why Noida can’t repair them in time

Noida: Broken roads across several Noida sectors have remained in disrepair for nearly a year, with the arrival of the monsoon worsening commuting conditions and raising safety concerns.

Among the worst-affected stretches are the road from Kondli Bazaar to Millennium School in Sector 122, the stretch from Kailash Hospital in Sector 71 to Cleo County in Sector 121, and the road from the Parthala flyover to Cleo County.

In Greater Noida, many sectors saw waterlogging after Sunday’s showers.The Sector 71-52 underpass is another key concern, as the uneven and bumpy road here adds to traffic congestion during rush hour.

Other affected areas include sectors 105, 19, 22, 51, 117, 123 and 16 near the T-Series office in Film City.“I commute on the Sector 121-71 stretch daily for work. The road is broken at several places and is in very bad shape. No repairs have been done so far. As a result, there are traffic jams during peak hours,” said Abhishek Kumar, a resident of Sector 121.Sector 19 RWA president RC Gupta echoed these frustrations, alleging that the internal roads here are in a “pathetic” condition and are “unfit for use”.

Recarpeting work was meant to be conducted on these roads under a five-year maintenance norm, but work has been postponed for nearly four years.“Despite numerous requests about filling potholes and resurfacing roads, our pleas have gone unanswered. We’re in a dire situation, and we anticipate further delays due to the rainy season,” Gupta said.In Sector 22, residents said the condition of the internal roads in blocks J-D has been deteriorating over the last two years.

“No Noida Authority official has visited the sector despite us filing several complaints,” said RWA president Madan Sharma.In Sector 105, residents claim the roads have seen no repairs in eight years. The sector’s drainage system is also in ruins, leading to substantial waterlogging after rains, they said. Inadequate slopes and damaged infrastructure routinely result in stagnant water.“Residents are living in a condition that can only be described as unbearable.

Immediate action is required from the Noida Authority to address these critical issues,” said RWA president Deepak Sharma.In Sector 55, RWA president Satnarayan Goyal said that a tender has been issued for the repair of an 18-metre-wide road, but rising bitumen costs have delayed work. “We hear that the delays stem from issues with procuring raw materials like charcoal, etc. But promises have been made for too long without tangible outcomes,” he said.Noida Authority’s general manager AK Arora acknowledged that there have been challenges in sticking to the timelines for road repairs in the city, adding that the tender process is underway and the work is expected to commence by the end of the month.“The delay was primarily due to material shortages following global issues. We have already initiated repairs in sectors 26, 34, 122, etc., and plans are in place to prioritise severely affected areas,” he said.

Sector 63 resident Sonu Yadav raised concerns over the state of the Behlolpur-Pusta Road in the sector ahead of the Kanwar Yatra.“The devotees will be arriving via this road, which is broken and gets flooded during showers. They set out from Haridwar a month ago, carrying 61kg of Ganga water each. Some pilgrims arrive ahead of schedule. Why have officials paid no attention to the condition of this road?” Yadav said.Sunday’s showers left parts of the city flooded due to clogged drains.Sector 53 RWA general secretary VS Singh Negi said that blocks B and C are waterlogged every year, regardless of the season, with the situation worsening with rain. “There is water accumulation of over two feet right in front of my house after Sunday’s showers,” Negi said.Greater Noida similarly reported waterlogging across several sectors.“After the rain on Sunday, the roads and streets of Sector Gamma 1 were flooded at many places. The main reason for this is the lack of cleaning of the drains. And this is just the beginning of the rains. What will happen when monsoon hits in a big way?” said Gamma 1 resident Nidhi Sharma, who urged officials to immediately conduct cleaning of drains. “There is a possibility of diseases due to waterlogging. This work should have been done a month ago.

”Similar complaints were raised by residents in sectors Alpha and Delta, among others.When contacted, Greater Noida Authority officials said cleaning work is underway and the problem will be addressed soon.