Ghaziabad monsoon mess: Drains still dirty, silt left on roads; waterlogging fears rise, residents blame poor planning

Time of India

7 days ago

GHAZIABAD: As monsoon approaches, drains across Ghaziabad have remained uncleaned, raising concerns about potential waterlogging and traffic disruptions. Areas such as Nehru Nagar, Vijay Nagar, Nandgram, and Meerut Road, among others, await drain cleaning.
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In locations where cleaning has occurred, the removed silt remains uncollected on roadsides.
'Big drains are clogged with dirt, garbage, and construction and demolition (C&D) waste,' said Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Nehru Nagar, Ghaziabad.
Kumar said GMC claims to be spending Rs 4 to 5 crore on cleaning the drains, but during monsoon, waterlogging exposes the ground reality. Sumit Tyagi, a resident of Nandgram, notes that most of the drains that flow through the city's markets are encroached upon.
GMC municipal health officer Dr Mithilesh Kumar says, though encroachment is a deterrent, cleaning of drains is underway.
'Cleaning of big drains is being done regularly. The contractor is being paid only after cleaning the drain. At some places, due to encroachment, cleaning of drains is becoming difficult, but things are being handled,' said Kumar.
Apart from the lack of drain cleaning, residents also complain about leftover silt on roadsides in some places where cleaning has been undertaken.
'Some smaller drains and sewers have been cleaned in parts of Vaishali, Vasundhara, Shaheed Nagar, Indirapuram, etc. But filth from the drains has been taken out and left on the roads. This filth has been lying on the roadside for a long time. Over time, this silt tends to slide back into the drain, adding to the muck,' said Surendra Singh from Vasundhara.
Officials from GMC maintain that the silt is left on the roadsides to dry, and only after that is it picked up. Also, measures for installing pumps in low-lying areas are taken to drain out waterlogged areas during the monsoon.