Noida: Thursday’s rain did more than flood the streets of Noida and Greater Noida — it peeled off the asphalt layer of several roads, exposing months of substandard roadwork.The damage was worst at the Sector 52-71 underpass, where a resurfacing job last year was meant to smooth out bumps left over from its 2022 construction. That patchwork gave way almost as soon as the rain hit. The 780-meter, six-lane underpass was built for Rs 59 croreThe same story played out across the region — in Sectors 73, 50 and 51 in Noida, and in Ecotech 10, Knowledge Park 3 and Delta 1 in Greater Noida.In Sarfabad, Sector 73, near an under-construction commercial complex, part of the road caved in, bringing down a boundary wall. The impact also sank a drain and a transformer installed nearby by the Noida Authority. Part of an adjacent banquet hall has also tilted.Another road caved in at Knowledge Park 3, sparking panic among people. Cracks started showing up in nearby buildings too.In Delta 1, commuters had to pull a school bus out of a sunken road on Friday. While no student was injured, RWA general secretary Rishipal Bhati criticized GNIDA for its negligence in addressing the issue.“The drainage pipeline in the sector is 30 years old. These cement pipes have outlived their lifespan and are collapsing now, leading to frequent leakages as well as road damage,” said Bhati, who added that the road was repaired a few months ago.In Noida’s Sector 50, large sections of a newly built pavement sunk into the mud — exposing poor-quality work and raising serious questions about construction standards.“This is yet another example of administrative failure. In fact, calling it merely a failure would be too mild, it appears to be a blatant waste of public money and the hard-earned taxes paid by citizens,” said Anil Bhargava, a resident of Sector 50.He questioned the contractor selection process, quality checks, and whether any clause exists to make contractors pay for repairs. If such rules are in place, he asked, why aren’t they enforced?Numerous other locations, including Sector 50 road, the Metro station road in Sector 51 in Noida, Ecotech 10, Surapur road, Pali village road, in Greater Noida, also faced similar issues, with some roads caving in completely.Ajab Singh Bhati, RWA president of Sector Delta 2, urged immediate corrective measures to support local businesses adversely affected by poor road conditions in Surajpur. “The traders of Surajpur town are facing economic hardship, and we need a contractor that adheres to quality standards in road repairs and resurfacing works,” he added.Concerns are not limited to the surface quality of roads; safety issues have also been raised. “The road near Sector 51 metro station and in Sector 50 was recently repaired, but loose gravel and chipping, along with parts of cave in has already occurred on these roads,,” said Amit Gupta, a resident of Sector 77 who commutes to the stretch daily.Rajiva Singh, a founding member of Noida Federation of Apartment Owners Associations, wrote to Noida Authority CEO on Friday seeking an investigation and prompt repairs.
