Man dies after falling into rainwater-filled drain in Noida; fresh rain damage triggers civic action

Noida, Jul 10 (PTI) A 28-year-old man died allegedly after falling into a roadside drain filled with rainwater while on his way to work in Noida's Sector 58, police said on Friday, even as heavy rainfall caused widespread damage, waterlogging and road cave-ins across Noida and Greater Noida. Deceased Aryan was a resident of Choda village in Sector 22, Noida. According to police, the incident took place around 9 am on Thursday, when Aryan was walking towards a factory in Sector 58 amid heavy waterlogging caused by incessant rain. Preliminary investigation suggests that he was walking over concrete slabs placed on top of a roadside drain as the road was inundated. One of the slabs was allegedly unstable, causing him to fall into the drain. Police said Aryan's friend, Shivam, and others pulled him out of the drain in an unconscious state. Despite attempts to revive him by administering CPR, he did not regain consciousness. He was rushed to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead. Police said legal proceedings are underway and the circumstances leading to the incident are being investigated. The incident comes amid a series of rain-related accidents in Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddha Nagar district, which has witnessed heavy rainfall recently, leading to waterlogging, traffic congestion and damage to public infrastructure in several parts of Noida and Greater Noida. On Friday morning, a nearly 10-foot-high boundary wall in Noida's Sector 12 collapsed, damaging several vehicles parked alongside. No casualties were reported. In another incident, a portion of a service road and an adjoining drain caved in at a commercial plot in Sector 73, Noida, during basement excavation following heavy rain. The Noida Authority said the plot was allotted to Avenue Supermarts Limited and a show-cause notice has been issued to the allottee. The company has begun reconstructing the damaged road and drain at its own expense. No one was injured in the incident. Another road caved in near a commercial project under construction at Knowledge Park-III in Greater Noida, while residents of several sectors reported severe waterlogging. In Greater Noida West, residents of Eco Village-1 complained of waterlogging in the basement parking area, raising concerns over vehicle safety and water seepage from the basement ceiling. Officials of the Noida and Greater Noida authorities inspected the affected locations and directed immediate remedial measures. In a statement, the Noida Authority said complaints of waterlogging were received from several locations after nearly 20 hours of continuous rainfall on Thursday. It said teams from all 10 work circles were deployed immediately, with JCB machines, Hyva trucks, Poclain excavators, Super Sucker machines and diesel pump sets pressed into service to clear drains and remove the accumulated water. Generator sets were installed at underpasses to facilitate drainage and restore traffic movement, while pump sets were deployed at 28 low-lying locations to prevent waterlogging. The authority has also set up a 24x7 Quick Response Team (QRT) and a dedicated helpline -- 0120-2423795 -- for residents to report waterlogging. It said waste-disposal operations have been intensified during monsoon, with around 900 tonnes of municipal waste and 400 tonnes of construction and demolition waste being cleared daily. Greater Noida Authority Chief Executive Officer N G Ravi Kumar has directed all officials to remain in the field and ensure immediate rectification of waterlogging wherever reported, warning of strict action against negligence. Following the directions, officials and engineering staff were deployed across various sectors to monitor and clear drains and flooded roads. Earlier this week, a 10-year-old boy fell into an open manhole in the Chi-Phi area of Greater Noida, highlighting growing concerns over civic safety during the ongoing monsoon season. PTI COR KIS RC