Noida: Noida Authority issued notices to 50 homeowners in Sector 19 for covering stormwater drains outside their properties. Officials said concrete slabs or tiles put over drains slowed, if not obstructed, de-silting, which in turn left these stretches vulnerable to waterlogging.Additional chief executive officer Vandana Tripathi, who inspected Blocks A, B and C of Sector 19 on Thursday, found drains were encroached on or covered in several sections, restricting the free flow of stormwater.“Such blockages can lead to waterlogging on roads during the rainy season. Notices have been issued to the property owners, directing them to remove the illegal structures within two days,” Tripathi said, adding that property owners would be held accountable in case of waterlogging in these stretches following showers.In Feb 2023, NGT observed that drains should not be concretised or covered, as this adversely affects groundwater recharge.An official said spot visits focused on areas from where the Authority received waterlogging complaints over the last few weeks. He said teams would also visit highrises if similar complaints emerge from there.The sector’s RWA general secretary, Laxmi Narayan, said the Authority did not complete the timely cleaning of drains in the area. “We submitted a complaint. On Thursday, Authority officials inspected the residential sector and served notices to several residents for covering drains,” he said, adding that open drains pose a safety risk, so some residents have covered them. “But in some cases, the slabs have been converted into parking spaces and gardens.”Notices served to residents said the alterations were “contrary to the sanctioned building plan” and were leading to obstruction in the flow of rainwater. “This causes waterlogging on roads during rainfall and creates inconvenience for local residents and commuters. You (homeowners) are therefore directed to remove the unauthorised encroachment and restore the drain to its original condition within two days of receiving this notice,” it read.The Authority began de-silting drains ahead of monsoon with an initial deadline of July 15. However, officials said the pace of work lagged in some areas because of a delay in tendering and was now expected to be completed only by the end of this month.The Authority faced criticism after the season’s first spell of heavy rain on July 9 left several parts of the city inundated and exposed gaps in the de-silting work. Areas near DSC Road opposite GIP Mall witnessed severe waterlogging. The ARTO office in Sector 33 was also inundated, disrupting the transport department’s functioning.To address rain-related problems, the Authority has recently launched a waterlogging helpline, 0120-2423795.
