Rain brings respite, but power cuts trouble Noida, Greater Noida residents

Hindustan Times

03-05-2025

A fierce overnight storm brought more than just relief from the soaring temperatures in Noida and Greater Noida — it paralysed the region, triggering widespread power cuts, traffic jams, and infrastructure damage. The sudden deluge, accompanied by gusty winds, left thousands in the dark and roads flooded, highlighting the city's struggle to handle severe weather despite improvements in its infrastructure. Thunderstorms and gusty winds began after midnight in Gautam Budh Nagar, and heavy rainfall continued until 7 am on Friday.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the minimum temperature in Gautam Budh Nagar, which includes Noida and Greater Noida, plummeted from 24.8°C on Thursday to 19.9°C by Friday morning. The maximum temperature also dropped by nearly 3°C, from 33.5°C on Thursday to 30°C on Friday, offering some respite from the summer heat.
Sanjay Kumar Jain, the chief engineer of Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL) Noida, attributed the outages to strong winds, which caused trees to fall onto power lines. 'Our teams were deployed early, and most complaints were resolved promptly. We've identified critical points in the system and aim to resolve vulnerabilities within the next few days,' he said.
In Greater Noida, winds of up to 55 km/h caused trees and branches to fall on electric poles and power lines, damaging 11 poles. Noida Power Company Limited spokesperson Manoj Jha confirmed that most areas had their power restored within one to two hours. 'In Gaur City and Sector 16, the outage lasted only an hour, while the rest of the region was largely unaffected,' he said.
However, localities such as Noida sectors 27, 49, 83, Sadullapur, and Shahberi experienced intermittent to prolonged power cuts lasting several hours. 'We've had no power since 4 am, and the inverter battery died due to the extended outage,' said Mayank Singh, a resident of Sudamapur, Noida.
Apart from power issues, traffic movement was significantly impacted, especially in low-lying areas where waterlogging and fallen trees caused severe congestion. The Integrated Traffic Management System (ITMS) control room was on high alert, and traffic police worked tirelessly to clear obstructions. 'Once the storm subsided, we began patrolling to identify areas affected by waterlogging and fallen trees,' said Vinay Tomar, sub-inspector (traffic).
Brajesh Sharma, a Sector 78 resident, noted, 'I left home at 8 am fearing congestion. While traffic on the way to Delhi was smooth, I saw waterlogging at several places, including the Sector 50 roundabout and the Delhi-Noida-Direct (DND) flyover.' Commuters in Greater Noida also reported heavy traffic jams, especially between Gaur City 1 and 2. 'It was a nightmare. I was stuck for an hour,' posted Vikash Singhal on social media, tagging the Noida Traffic Police.
In addition to waterlogged roads, fallen trees in various locations disrupted the flow of traffic. 'A tree fell on the road near Ek Murti roundabout at 8:50 am, causing a disruption. Traffic police cleared it immediately,' said a traffic police spokesperson.
Waterlogging was reported in several sectors, including 21, 44, 50, 62, and 142. Sanjay Khatri, the additional chief executive officer of the Noida Authority, inspected affected areas in Sector 62, where clogged drains caused water to accumulate. 'We penalized the contractor M/S Ausan Construction ₹1 lakh for failing to maintain cleanliness. Two other contractors were fined ₹50,000 each for poor maintenance,' said the Noida Authority.
Lokesh M, the chief executive officer of the Noida Authority, directed staff to clear roads of debris and ensure no obstruction remained for commuters. 'We've instructed the water works department to attend to any complaints from residents,' he said.
Urban planners noted that waterlogging in Noida is less severe than in other parts of the NCR due to the city's location between the Yamuna and Hindon rivers. 'Rainwater easily flows into these rivers through 14 major drains, preventing prolonged waterlogging,' said Deepak Agarwal, a private architect and town planner. He further explained that Noida's well-planned infrastructure, including advanced drainage systems, mitigates the risk of flooding, unlike other NCR cities like Delhi and Gurugram.
Atul Gupta, president of the Uttar Pradesh Architects and Town Planners' Association, contrasted Noida's planning with that of Delhi and Gurugram. 'Noida is a well-planned city, unlike Delhi and Gurugram, where infrastructure is developed piecemeal,' he said.
Despite the heavy damage caused by the rainstorm, Noida's infrastructure handled much of the impact. Power disruptions were swiftly addressed, and waterlogging cleared quickly due to efficient drainage systems. However, urban planners and officials stressed the need for continued vigilance to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
As the storm subsided and normalcy returned, the people of Noida could only hope that these lessons in preparedness would lead to faster improvements in infrastructure maintenance and disaster management in the years ahead.