Noida: Residential areas of Sector 51 are increasingly being used for unauthorised commercial activities, locals have said, leading to encroachment in common spaces and the area becoming unsafe.Many said mini trucks and tempos begin arriving in the sector as early as dawn, utilising homes as makeshift warehouses. Due to this, there is constant movement of outsiders in the residential area, which has triggered safety concerns among residents. General secretary of Sector 51 RWA Sanjeev Kumar said, “Noida Authority does not provide permits for commercial activities in residential zones. Yet, it is rampant here. Zoning regulations are being completely disregarded in Noida, which is supposed to be a planned urban space.”He said multiple notices were sent to shut down these enterprises but to no avail so far.Construction activities for two shopping complexes on the main road have aggravated the situation. Vehicles carrying construction material and scrap now take the internal roads.Additionally, makeshift shops from the adjacent Hoshiarpur village, centred largely around scrap dealing and construction, have spilled into the sector, further diminishing the residential nature of the area.
Vehicles carrying construction material and scrap now take the internal roads
“Despite escalating complaints spanning various levels of Noida Authority, including the chief executive officer, there’s no redress on the matter,” Kumar said, adding that the agency has stopped issuing notices now.However, officer on special duty at Noida Authority Indu Prakash said that action is taken as and when complaints are raised by residents. As part of these measures, shops in residential areas are demolished and those responsible for flouting construction and demolition waste norms are penalised.
