Drain water floods housing societies in Ghaziabad

Ghaziabad, Aug 10 (IANS) Nearly 1,000 residents of two housing societies near Rajbagh metro station in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, are living under the fear of vector-borne diseases after water from a drain choked by DMRC entered into their premises.

The societies, located along the Grand Trunk Road, were flooded following heavy rains on August 6 when water from a closed drain overflowed inside the boundary walls.

Residents of the Annapurna housing society, who were forced to wade through knee-deep water in order to reach their doors, have procured a motor pump to clear the premise in the absence of any help from the Ghaziabad Development Authority (GDA).

The RWA of the adjacent society, Svaran Residency, which has more than 750 residents, has constructed a dyke-like structure to prevent drain water from entering their premises.

The flooding was aggravated this monsoon even though the drain was closed at least three years ago during construction work of the Dilshad Garden-New Bus Stand metro corridor.

According to the residents, the drain, which transports waste water from the direction of Mohan Nagar towards Delhi along GT Road, was closed owing to a tug of war between the GDA and the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

Residents said DMRC laid a new pipeline -- with a diameter of 1,600 mm -- right across GT Road to transport sewerage from Rajbagh metro station to a pipeline located across the road.

"This resulted in closure of the drain which was cut perpendicularly by the new sewer pipeline laid by the DMRC. We met DMRC officials who said they have been pursuing with the GDA since 2015 to allow them to connect the drain with the new sewer pipeline. But the GDA neither issued a work order upon the DMRC, nor did it provide it with funds to undertake the necessary work," Annu Pandey, RWA secretary of Annapurna housing society, told IANS.

Earlier, waste water from more than three housing societies, including Annapurna and Svaran, used to be disposed off into the drain. Following its abrupt closure near the metro station, accumulated water instead flows back into Annapurna and Svaran housing societies.

According to the residents, DMRC had sent a reminder to the GDA about the unfinished work on the drain, which would allow unhindered flow of waste water, prior to the commissioning of the metro line earlier this year.

However, the work could not be undertaken owing to lack of any response from the GDA.

IANS reached out to GDA vice-chairperson Kanchan Verma asking her as to why there was a lack of co-ordination with Delhi Metro Rail Corporation.

"I am not aware about the issue. I will find out, said Verma.