Dust storm, rain leave behind a trail of damage, outages in GB Nagar
NOIDA: A powerful dust storm accompanied by gusty winds and light rainfall swept across Noida and Greater Noida on Friday night and Saturday afternoon, causing widespread power outages, infrastructure damage, and traffic chaos in several parts of Gautam Budh Nagar district, officials said.
Nearly 400 electricity poles and 40 transformers were damaged in Greater Noida due to the high-speed winds, said Paschimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL), said Rahul Sharma, executive engineer, PVVNL, Greater Noida.
Power supply was disrupted in multiple villages and residential sectors under the jurisdiction of 33/11 kV substations in Dankaur, Rabupura, Bhata, and Salarpur, among other areas, officials said.
'Electricity supply to villages dependent on these substations has been interrupted. Our maintenance teams are working round the clock to restore the damaged poles and transformers,' Sharma added.
In Greater Noida's Balaji Enclave, Shahberi residents complained of struggling with prolonged outages.
'There has been no electricity for the last six hours. It's affecting our daily routine, and power tripping is already a regular issue here. We request authorities to fix this permanently,' Amit Chauhan, a resident, said on Saturday morning.
In urban sectors too, the storm left its mark.
In JP Aman Society, Sector 151, strong winds tore off windows and doors in some flats of a multi-storey building. A video of the damaged flat surfaced on social media, sparking criticism over poor construction quality.
'The storm was so intense that windows and doors were ripped off. It's shocking to see this in a high-rise where we've put our life savings,' said Ritu Malhotra, a local resident.
Elsewhere in Jewar, wind and rain brought brief relief from the heat but led to fallen trees and snapped wires.
'The sudden storm cooled the weather. But we lost electricity for hours. Trees fell across roads, worsening the situation,' said Mahesh Pradhan, a local resident.
Meanwhile, in Noida, Saturday afternoon's gusty winds and rain caused multiple incidents.
Around 4.35pm, a traffic signal pole collapsed near DM Chowk in Sector 27, damaging a Kia Seltos car. But no one was injured. 'The wind was strong and brought the pole down. The car was damaged but the occupants are safe. We've informed Noida Authority for a replacement,' said Surendra Singh, traffic sub-inspector.
In another incident, a Renault Triber car caught fire on Film City Road, leading to a traffic jam on the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. The driver evacuated safely.
'Traffic was diverted to internal roads and the vehicle was removed by crane. The cause is yet to be confirmed,' said traffic inspector Shailendra Singh.
Trees were uprooted at several locations. In Sector 27, a tree fell outside Kailash Hospital, blocking access temporarily. Another tree collapsed near Sector 16, affecting movement towards Sector 18.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Noida experienced very light to light rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds of 30–40 kmph, briefly reaching 50 kmph on Saturday. The surface winds also carried dust, leading to reduced visibility and traffic slowdowns. Rainfall data, however, was unavailable.
In Gautam Budh Nagar, the IMD reported a minimum temperature of 26.2 degree Celsius (°C) and maximum of 42°C. The forecast for the coming days predicts partly cloudy skies, with surface winds of 15–25 kmph, occasionally gusting to 35 kmph, and possible thunderstorms. The temperature is expected to remain between 40–42°C and 26–28°C till May 23.
While weather conditions have brought some respite from the scorching heat, restoration work for electricity and road clearance is still ongoing. Officials have urged residents to remain patient and cooperate with civic agencies.
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