Stay home and make paper boats, people. Doesn't seem like you have any other choice.
While the heavy showers this morning brought relief from the sticky heat, the situation quickly turned into a nightmare for officegoers. The showers left Noida and Ghaziabad submerged in knee-deep water.
The inundated streets laid bare the hollowness of the authorities' claims that they had achieved a waterlogging-free city.
Following the rains, Noida's district hospital has been completely submerged in water, while rainwater flooded various sectors, roads and streets in Noida. Portions of the DND flyway, and sectors 2, 3, 4, 6, 15 and 27 were seen submerged, as traffic came to a standstill in most parts of the city.
Balsi Prabhat, an employee of the Noida District Hospital, told City Spidey that rainwater had flooded the hospital’s wards and had caused a short circuit. “We are scared of electrocution, as some of the electric cables are submerged in water," said Prabhat.
Residents of several sectors complained that they were unable to send their children to school. Blaming Noida Authority for the disruption, Ranvir Singh, a resident of Sector 19, said he was unable to step out for work.
Shipra Krishna Vista's internal roads are flooded
The situation was even worse in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad. Basements of several high-rises, parks and common areas were seen waterlogged with ankle-deep water.
Speaking to City Spidey, Rakesh Kumar, AOA president of Amrapali Village, said the society’s basement parking was submerged in knee-deep water and residents have no way of getting to their vehicles. “Ghaziabad Development Authority [GDA] is entirely responsible for this mess. Bad planning, choked drains and sewers, narrow connecting roads — the situation is dire,” said Kumar.
The Amrapali Village basement
A similar situation was reported from other societies, such as Jaipuria Sunrise Greens, Shipra Krishna Vista and Saya Zenith, to name a few. Residents of high-rise flats said they felt they were living on an island. “We cannot leave the society and cannot access our vehicles," said Arun Rai, AOA president of Shipra Krishna Vista. On a lighter note, he said that the AOA might set aside a budget to buy a raft to traverse the "inland waterways of the concrete jungle".
The waterlogging and seepage in Niho Scottish Gardens have caused a portion of its park's boundary wall to cave in. This has left AOA members scrambling to take control of the situation, as the water accumulated in the park started to flow into the society’s basement. “The AOA members are trying to get hold of super sucker machines and pumps to get rid of the water inside the society," said Kapil Singhal and AOA member of Niho Scottish Gardens.
The collapsed boundary wall in Niho Scottish Gardens
