Noida Authority Identifies 65 Black Spots – Key Highlights
- Safety Audit Triggered by Techie’s Death: Following Yuvraj Mehta’s tragic accident, Noida Authority identified 65 road safety black spots lacking basic safety infrastructure.
- Immediate Interventions: Private builders must install barricades, reflectors, signage, and safe road edges; Authority to implement guardrails, streetlights, lane markings, and drainage repairs in its areas.
- Drainage & Waterlogging Focus: City-wide drainage survey to locate weak points and waterlogging areas; strengthening of drainage systems and sump wells in 20 villages underway.
- High-Risk Locations: Notable danger zones include Shivalik Marg (Sector 32 Metro), Janpath Marg roundabout (Sector 85), and Sector 150 near Tata Eureka Park, with deep pits, stagnant water, and abandoned construction sites.
- Objective & Approach: Proactive steps aim to minimize accidents, improve traffic safety, and ensure collaboration between civic authorities and private developers in rapidly developing zones.
Following the sad demise of techie Yuvraj Mehta, the Noida Authority has spotted as many as 65 road safety black spots in the city at locations where the basic facilities for safety are absent and the implementation of the measures for the safety of the general public is the need of the hour. The initiative came in the context of the complaints about waterlogging in the plots, openings of basements, and unsecure construction sites that pose a danger to the traffic on the roads. The Authority's civil department and traffic cell staff did the field inspections together to pinpoint the locations.
Those parts where it is the authority's direct responsibility are the ones where Noida Authority will carry out the safety improvement works by itself. "Such segments will be equipped with guardrails, road signage, lane markings, streetlights, and other necessary infrastructure on a priority basis to minimise the risk of accidents, " a senior official said as per HT.
The local authority has taken the next step and decided to resolve drainage problems that hitch a back seat only till the incident came to light. Along with the present measures, strengthening of drainage systems and sump wells in 20 villages of the Noida region is also being considered. Planning for seven villages of the district have got government approval whereas the rest of the proposals are at different stages of the process.
Officials identified waterlogging as the main reason for a large number of road accidents and vehicle damages in recent times. A full drainage survey of the city's pan will be taken up to locate weak places, areas of overflow, and perennial waterlogging spots.
Deep pits dug for residential or commercial purposes and left open in various parts of the city have become a menace to road safety and numerous accidents have been reported in such areas. Some of the highly unsafe stretches are as follows:
- Shivalik Marg near Sector 32 Metro station – the ground sinks into an 80-100 feet deep pit, with fallen barricades, twisted metal sheets, overgrowth of vegetation, and construction rubble, making it especially dangerous at night.
- Janpath Marg roundabout near Sector 85 police chowki – a vacant plot is waterlogged and choked with hyacinth and sewage, which flows from an open roadside drain.
- Sector 150 near Tata Eureka Park – construction sites abandoned after the authority stopped approvals in 2021 following a report by the Comptroller and Auditor General about irregularities, with exposed pits that have become potential death traps.
The critical interventions and focus areas identified by the authorities are:
• Private builders are required to erect barricades, signs, reflectors, and safe road edges immediately.
• Guardrails, road markings, street lighting, and drainage repairs will be undertaken by Noida Authority in their respective areas.
• Conducting a city-wide drainage assessment to actively mitigate waterlogging points.
• Improving sump wells and drainage systems in 20 villages to avoid potential flood risks in the future.
The proactive efforts of the Noida Authority highlight the need for both private builders and civic authorities to address public safety concerns in the rapidly developing regions.
