Road caves in, car falls into pit as heavy rain inundates Noida, Ghaziabad

Noida/Ghaziabad, Jul 9 (PTI) Heavy rainfall disrupted normal life in Noida and adjoining Ghaziabad on Thursday, causing widespread waterlogging, traffic snarls and the collapse of a residential road that sent a parked car and a scooter plunging into a pit. Authorities also declared a holiday in government schools in Ghaziabad. In one of the most serious rain-related incidents, a section of a road in Vasundhara Sector 13 in Ghaziabad caved in beside an under-construction basement after incessant rain, sending a parked car and a scooter into the pit. A nearby electricity pole also tilted into the crater. No one was injured, but both vehicles were extensively damaged. Vehicle owner Ajay Agrawal said the vehicles were parked outside his house, where he lives with his brother Pushkar Singh, a retired superintendent engineer of the Awas Vikas Parishad. He alleged that a builder had excavated nearly 20 feet for a basement without adequate safety arrangements and that the road suddenly gave way towards the excavation around 8 am due to continuous rain. According to Agrawal, the builder later used a crane to retrieve the vehicles. He said he has lodged a complaint at the Indirapuram police station, seeking action against the builder, proper safety arrangements at the construction site and compensation for the damage caused to his vehicles. In Noida, several areas, including Sectors 16, 33 and 12, witnessed severe waterlogging, with knee-deep water reported at places, making movement difficult for pedestrians and two-wheeler riders. Several motorcycles and scooters stalled after water entered their exhausts, forcing riders to push their vehicles through flooded stretches. Some commuters crossed inundated roads by walking along roadside dividers. Heavy traffic congestion was reported during the morning peak hours near the Botanical Garden area, where hundreds of cars, buses and two-wheelers moved at a crawl or remained stranded for long periods. A police officer said traffic was disrupted due to increased congestion caused by the rain but added that personnel remained deployed to regulate movement and ease traffic flow. In Sector 63, a boundary wall of a company collapsed due to the rain. No injuries were reported. In Ghaziabad, the district administration declared a holiday in government schools because of the heavy rainfall. Local residents blamed poor drainage for the situation. Salman, a milk supplier, told PTI Videos that the rain had affected his work. "I could not deliver milk in some areas because the roads were heavily waterlogged and it became difficult to pass through," he said. Another resident, Akbar Ali, alleged that drain-cleaning was merely "an eyewash". "If the drains had been cleaned properly, the water would have drained out. Water has risen above knee level and even roadside shops have been flooded. It has affected the supply of essential items," said Ali, who is engaged in the flour and grocery supply business. Shalini Singh, executive chairperson of the NGO Noida Citizen Forum, said the rainfall had exposed the inadequacy of the Noida Authority's monsoon preparedness. "Officials should step out of their air-conditioned offices and see the actual condition on the ground. When a little rain brings the city to a standstill, it is not merely a natural disaster but an administrative failure," she said, demanding accountability, disclosure of drainage-related contracts and action against officials responsible for lapses. PTI KIS RHL