Noida : With record rainfall lashing the city in August and September, several residential sectors are once again reeling under severe waterlogging. The Indian Meteorological Department has already issued fresh alerts, yet the city’s civic preparedness remains questionable.
The old drainage problem
Despite years of complaints, Noida’s drainage network remains outdated and inadequate. Experts have long recommended a comprehensive technical survey by reputed institutions like IIT Roorkee to find a sustainable solution, but the proposal has never been pursued with urgency. As a result, every monsoon exposes the city’s fragile infrastructure.
When the authority’s own office flooded
The problem isn’t limited to residential colonies. Even the Noida Authority’s own premises were submerged under nearly 1.5 feet of water this monsoon. Officials were compelled to reprimand work circle officers before the sewers and water harvesting pits were cleared, allowing water to recede.
The incident raises a troubling question: If the authority itself cannot safeguard its headquarters from flooding, how can residents expect relief in their neighborhoods?
Accountability crisis
This episode reflects a deeper issue: a lack of accountability among work circle officers. Such preventive measures should be routine, carried out well before rainfall. If action comes only after scolding or reminders, it shows a systemic failure. Residents argue that officers who fail in their duties should face administrative action instead of escaping with mere warnings.
What residents demand
To break the cycle of recurring waterlogging, residents and community bodies are demanding:
Permanent drainage redesign, through expert survey and structural reforms.
Clear accountability of officers, with strict action against negligence.
The bigger picture
Every year, the issue fades once the rains stop, only to resurface the next monsoon. Unless Noida Authority moves beyond temporary fixes and enforces accountability, waterlogging will remain the city’s annual nightmare
