Noida: Rain brought relief from the sultry conditions, but in Sector 62, one of the city’s key commercial and institutional hubs, it also brought chaos. A key arterial stretch connecting Noida’s 7x sectors to the Delhi-Meerut Expressway (DME) and NH-9, the road is reduced to a waterlogged trap every time it rains, even briefly.On Wednesday morning, a moderate spell of rain submerged a 500-metre stretch in filthy, stagnant water that lingered well into the afternoon. The flooding brought traffic to a near standstill, leaving motorists, officegoers and students to navigate knee-deep water.Lined with prominent educational institutions such as Father Agnel School, Indus Valley School, and several business schools, the stretch is also used daily by residents of nearby housing societies like Rajat Vihar. Despite its strategic importance, residents say the flooding issue has persisted for years.According to officials and locals, the core of the problem lies in the stormwater run-off from Khoda, a densely populated, unplanned urban locality in neighbouring Ghaziabad.Perched at a higher elevation, Khoda routinely channels its rainwater downhill—directly into Sector 62. The Noida drainage system, built to handle only local runoff, gets overwhelmed during heavy downpours.Sukhdev Sharma, president of Rajat Vihar B Block RWA, said, “Even a 15-minute shower is enough to flood this stretch. The drainage is too narrow, and the entire burden of Khoda’s runoff comes crashing down here.”RK Uprety, head of the Sector 62 RWA, echoed the frustration. “Last year we faced the same issue. JCBs were called to clear drains, but that was just a band-aid solution. We need a long-term fix.”Cab driver Hashim, who was driving through Sector 62 around 10 am, described the condition as “pathetic.” “The wheels of my car were completely submerged. People were stuck, walking through dirty water. Even light rain turns this place into a nightmare,” he said.Videos showed commuters wading through waterlogged lanes as cars, motorcycles, and e-rickshaws struggled through submerged stretches. Meanwhile, senior officials of the Noida Authority, including additional CEO Sanjay Khatri, visited affected areas to assess the damage.Vijay Rawal, deputy general manager (civil), acknowledged the scale of the problem. “Our drains are not designed to handle water from outside Noida. The excess water from Khoda causes the backup, particularly in low-lying areas like Rajat Vihar,” he said.While admitting that there’s no quick solution, Rawal said that plans are underway to widen the drains to better accommodate the excess water. “It’s a long-term process and likely won’t be completed before next year,” he added.In the meantime, a contractor was fined Rs 1 lakh for poor maintenance on a road in Sector 58, also affected by waterlogging.Wednesday’s rain also affected other parts of the city. Waterlogging was reported from Sector 18, DSC Road, and the Mahamaya Flyover.In Sector 2, a temple premises was flooded just as a large number of kanwar pilgrims arrived to offer prayers on the occasion of Shivratri. In a separate incident, a car caught fire near the Advant building on the Noida Expressway, triggering a traffic snarl. Authorities suspect a short circuit as the cause. Police said the driver managed to exit the vehicle in time, and no one was injured in the incident.According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Noida recorded 36.5 mm rainfall till 5.30 pm on Wednesday, even as the city was shrouded by a layer of mist throughout the day. Krishna Kumar, IMD scientist, said mists are caused due to overcast conditions and nearly 100% humidity.Maximum and minimum temperatures were 27.9°C and 26.6°C, compared to Tuesday’s 30.9°C and 25.6°C.Thursday is likely to be cloudy with the possibility of very light to light rain accompanied by thunderstorms, and temperatures ranging between 30-32°C and 23-25°C.
