Noida: A stretch of land below Sector 101 Metro Station lies strewn with torn plastic sheets, discarded clothes, broken tiles and garbage, with makeshift homes built of bricks, tin sheets and tarpaulin dotting the area. The stretch is part of the 1-km green belt along Vishwakarma Road, meant to act as a pollution buffer for nearby high-rises. Instead, it is dotted with jhuggis, scrap yards, garbage heaps and unauthorised shops selling pork, meat, fish and liquor.Residents of nearly 20 high-rise societies around the metro station have complained of poor sanitation, damaged approach roads, inadequate drainage and a lack of maintenance of the parking area. They have written to Noida Authority CEO and Noida Metro Rail Corporation managing director Krishna Karunesh, seeking remedial measures.A Sector 78 resident, Ranjan Samantaray, said the roads, parking areas, drainage systems and pedestrian approaches around the station needed urgent attention. “A metro station is an important public-transport facility used by thousands of commuters. The roads, parking areas, drainage systems and pedestrian approaches around it must be safe, clean and properly maintained,” he said. Samantaray added residents had sought a joint inspection by the concerned agencies and a time-bound action plan to ensure accountability and end the cycle of inter-departmental referrals.Residents said the area had remained in poor condition despite repeated complaints over the years.Another resident, Brajesh Sharma, flagged the risks posed by garbage and stray animals. “The waste is accumulating there and attracting stray animals. We cross this route often. There is a risk of being hit by a stray animal or bumping into a heap of garbage,” he said.In their representation, residents sought a joint inspection involving senior officials from NMRC, Noida Authority, the irrigation department, sanitation and horticulture divisions, and traffic and parking authorities.They also called for an assessment of damaged roads, drainage lines, parking areas, pedestrian access and sanitation, along with clear allocation of departmental responsibilities. The representation sought immediate measures to address potholes, broken surfaces, stagnant water and blocked drains, followed by permanent repairs.Residents have also demanded written directions naming responsible officers, setting deadlines and establishing a regular monitoring mechanism.TOI had earlier reported that the settlement along sectors 78 and 79 has grown steadily over the past decade. The encroachment, particularly dense at both ends of the green belt with easy access from Vishwakarma Road, has spread layer by layer across land originally earmarked as a pollution buffer between the residential complexes and the road.Every day, trucks unload fresh garbage at the site, where many of the settlers, engaged in the scrap trade, sort and segregate the waste. While the garbage strewn across the green belt is an eyesore, residents say the regular burning of scrap poses the bigger problem.
